All Florida inmates who wanted the COVID-19 vaccine have now either received the first dose or have completed vaccination, the Florida Department of Corrections (FDC) says.
As of May 25, 2021, over 33,282 inmates statewide have received at least the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
At that point, nearly 18,000 of Florida’s 90,000-plus inmates had tested positive in Florida prisons, along with more than 5,000 staff over the past year.
The brand of vaccine now available to inmates is determined by what is available and provided by the Florida Department of Health to Department of Corrections facilities.
The process of administering the vaccine to new inmates as they are received through reception centers and as they request vaccination will remain in place, FDC says.
FDC’s Office of Health Services along with contracted medical staff will continue to provide Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) vaccine education to both new and existing inmates and will answer questions and provide an overview of the vaccine, including benefits, potential side effects, as well as the process of scheduling medical visits.
Every inmate who wants to be vaccinated will receive a vaccine and all inmates are encouraged to participate, FDC says.
