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Florida will lower COVID vaccine age requirement to 60 next Monday

The governor says 2.6 million Florida seniors have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine.

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced he will be lowering the age requirement for COVID-19 vaccines to 60 and older, beginning next Monday, March 15.

"We want to make sure everyone has an opportunity to get a vaccine who may be at increased risk," DeSantis said at a news conference Monday in Tallahassee.

The governor said the decision to lower the age requirement was due to softening demand for the vaccine among the state's senior population. According to DeSantis, 2.6 million Florida seniors have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccine, which equates to 56 percent of the state's senior population.

With the age requirement lowering, Floridians between the ages of 60 and 64 can now receive a vaccine at drive-thru vaccination sites, pods, and pharmacies. 

The announcement came just hours after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced new recommendations, which included allowing fully-vaccinated people to gather without wearings mask or social distancing.

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However, the CDC is also recommending that fully vaccinated individuals still wear face masks, avoid large gatherings, and social distance from others when in public. Vaccinated people should also get tested if they feel COVID-19 symptoms, the agency says.

Florida has been offering vaccines to people 65 and up, as well as law enforcement, since the initial rollout in December. Last week, the state lowered the vaccine age requirement for law enforcement and teachers and school staff to 50 and up.

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