New COVID-19 cases aren’t the only summer surge that’s happening in Florida. As Florida entered peak pandemic conditions in recent weeks, we're also seeing a resurgence in interest in COVID-19 vaccines including a remarkably high level of vaccinations among Florida’s seniors. According to the Mayo Clinic’s vaccine-tracker, a total of 59.5% of Florida’s total population has been vaccinated, an improvement of around ten percent over the past month-the fastest vaccination rate since April.
This includes large majorities of Florida’s adult population which have received at least a first dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. The vaccination rates by age include 14.4% under the age of 18, 64% 18-64, and 98.8% for those over 65.
Florida has the largest senior population in the county and it’s remarkable to see a near 99% vaccination rate. It’s also notable that over 70% of adults over 35 are now vaccinated. In theory, we’re now reaching what we’d been told were herd immunity levels of vaccinations with most populations. Of course, going forward questions remain about efficacy against variants and the length of the efficacy of vaccines. As a result, especially with three different vaccines in use, it’s probably not ever going to be as saying X-percentage of vaccinations has taken place therefore-X.
Still, there’s no question that the rise of the Delta variants and the peak pandemic conditions in Florida have led to many who were on the fence about getting vaccinated.