VERO BEACH, Fla. (WFLA/AP) — Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis responded to White House Press Sec. Jen Psaki’s claim Monday that Florida hasn’t distributed more than half of their vaccine supply.
“That’s disingenuous,” DeSantis said at a Publix in Vero Beach Tuesday morning.
The governor said the state is holding on to doses that are needed for seniors who received their first shot and are awaiting their second shot.
“If the White House is suggesting that we shouldn’t be doing that, I don’t think that’s a good suggestion.”
DeSantis says the flow of COVID-19 vaccines has been stagnant and the state needs more to meet the increasing demand from residents.
DeSantis said officials in Washington told Florida it would start to see the supply increase around this time, but that hasn’t happened. Last week, the governor said the state doesn’t need FEMA sites to distribute vaccines, saying it already has the infrastructure set up, with hospitals, pharmacies and some of the major drive-thru testing sites.
White House press secretary Jen Psaki pushed back against DeSantis’ comments Monday, saying Florida has only administered about half of the vaccines it has been given.