DeSantis will allow Florida health providers to purchase COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5 years of age

Medical service providers in Florida will be able to acquire vaccines against COVID-19 for children under 5 years of age through a federal program, the White House reported this Friday, after the Republican governor of that state, Ron DeSantis, said that did not plan to acquire them, and changed his mind after facing harsh criticism.

Florida had been the only state in the country that had refused to request in advance pediatric vaccines, which received authorization from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on Friday.

Final clearance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is expected in the coming days, clearing the way for this last unvaccinated population group to get the shots.

The White House has been critical of DeSantis' position, but has expressed approval of allowing doctors to order vaccines for their patients from other providers, since the state will not provide them.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in Miami on June 16, 2022. Lynne Sladky / AP

"We have begun sending vaccines to children's hospitals and pediatricians in every state in the country except Florida," Dr. Ashish Jha, White House COVID-19 coordinator, told The Associated Press news agency.

"The governor's failure comes at a price for Florida parents and families."

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The injections will soon be available at pharmacies and community health centers, which can order them in advance directly from the federal government, Jha said.

But children's hospitals, clinics and private doctors' offices will be at a disadvantage compared to other states that did allow their doctors to make advance orders.

Jha criticized DeSantis, who has insisted he upholds the rights of parents in their children's educational and health care decisions, adding,

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"We know that there are parents across the United States of children under the age of 5 who have been waiting for a long time, and for many of them, this delay due to the actions of the Governor and the Department of Health, is inconceivable," he said.

"I don't think it will help and I think for the parents who have been waiting, who have already made the choice, it's up to us to make sure they can exercise that choice."

Florida will not participate in the distribution of vaccines against COVID-19 for minors

June 16, 202200:34

DeSantis at Thursday's news conference downplayed the delays and defended the state's refusal to mandate the vaccines.

“Doctors can get them.

Hospitals can get them.

But there won't be any state programs trying to give infants, toddlers, and newborns COVID vaccines.

That is not where we are going to spend our resources.”