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As seniors’ demand for vaccine slips, medically vulnerable ask if they’re next

ORLANDO, Fla — On Thursday, Gov. Ron DeSantis said it could be just a matter of weeks before most seniors who want a vaccine can get one.

For individuals who are immunocompromised and are under 65, being included in the vaccine program can’t happen soon enough.

Christina Parente is one of those medically vulnerable people still trying to get their hands on the vaccine.

READ: COVID-19 vaccine: Who’s next on the list to receive it?

A Type 1 diabetic with a chronic lung condition, Parente wonders if the politicians making decisions understand how critical the vaccine is for people like her.

She moved to Florida right before the pandemic started and has yet to find a doctor affiliated with one of the hospitals that has sent out invitations to get a vaccine.

READ: Publix cancels Floridians’ next chance to schedule COVID-19 vaccine appointments as winter weather delays shipments

That leaves her no choice but to try and register for an appointment at one of the mass vaccination sites.

“I was ready to sign up for Walmart, but then I heard the governor stopped it, so I said, ‘Well, forget that,’” she said.

READ: Frustration mounts over confusion with Walmart’s second COVID-19 vaccine

Until the state begins opening up vaccine programs to more groups, she says she will just have to wait just like eveyone else.

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Matt Reeser

Matt Reeser, WFTV.com

Matt Reeser joined WFTV in 1998 as a news photographer and has worked for television stations in Kentucky and West Virginia.

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