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ANALYSIS: Data shows thousands of Floridians overdue for 2nd dose of COVID-19 vaccine

ORLANDO, Fla. — In Florida, more than 45,000 people who have received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine are overdue for their second shot.

Dr. Sonja Rasmussen of UF Health says it’s something physicians expected.

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Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows Florida has received more than 2-million doses of the vaccine, and that slightly more than half have been administered.

Dr. Rasmussen says the issue is with a lack of communication.

“People forget. People get busy. Some people may have misunderstood,” Dr. Rasmussen says.

Rasmussen spent about 20 years working on pandemic planning for the CDC.

She says there were similar trends with the shingles and HPV vaccines in the past. However, with the coronavirus in particular, she says the second dose is vital.

“We always have to follow through with what we start.”

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Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine requires a second dose 21 days after the first. For Moderna’s, it’s 28 days later.

The trials that have been done show a person reaches the desired 95% efficacy after the second shot.

Dr. Rasmussen says some people who’ve missed their second dose windows could be intentionally putting it off because doctors warn there may be additional side effects.

“I think that’s not a reason to put it off,” she says.

Dr. Rasmussen has gotten the second dose already herself and described the sensation as that of a mild cold.

She says it’s important to be honest and upfront about her reaction in order to encourage others to get it.

“It’s time to get that vaccine, because COVID-19 is really out there right now.”

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Dr. Rasmussen advises getting the second dose even if the specified window has passed.

AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson currently have vaccines in clinical trials that only require one dose.