On the current COVID-19 vaccination trend, plus the number of residents who have already tested positive, Jackson Health System CEO Carlos Migoya is beginning to use the words "herd immunity."
In a weekly call with Miami-Dade County commissioners Migoya said, "We feel very good that we can get to that number [65% to 70% immune] by the end of June, and we even might have more vaccines that might bring that number even earlier than the end of June."
Miami-Dade's Chief Medical Officer Dr. Peter Paige is also cautiously optimistic the vaccination rate of the vulnerable has helped bring critical care hospitalization cases down about 25% countywide, but he warns spring break will have an impact on the positivity rate which is currently hovering around 6%.
When it comes to lowering the age limits for the vaccine, Jackson, which has doled out a third of all of Miami-Dade's vaccines, will offer the shots to residents 40-and-older starting on Monday.
The following week, not only will they accept appointments for those 18+, meeting the Governor's order, but since they administer the Pfizer vaccine, Migoya has announced they'll offer shots to residents 16-and-older as long as a parent/guardian accompanies them.
He does expect the vaccines appointments to go quickly, once they opened their appointment portal to 50 and over, all 2,000 daily slots were snagged in five minutes.