While many people 65 and older were scrambling over the last couple of months to get appointments for a COVID vaccine, doses were practically dropped on the laps of some wealthy residents in the Florida Keys. News & Guts has independently confirmed that residents in the tony Ocean Reef area of Key Largo were able to easily secure vaccines back in January and they didn’t even have to leave their community. The Miami Herald cites a message that was sent to the community back on January 22nd that stated:
“Over the course of the last two weeks, the Medical Center has vaccinated over 1,200 homeowners who qualify under the State of Florida’s Governor’s current Order for those individuals who are 65 years of age or older.’’ The message goes on to point out that the community was way ahead of the rest of the state:
“We are fortunate to have received enough vaccines to ensure both the first and second for those vaccinated. At this time, however, the majority of the State has not received an allocation of first doses of vaccines for this week and beyond.”
Now questions are swirling over why these Key Largo residents were able to get preferential treatment and whether the road leads back to Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis. According to the Herald:
The only people from Key Largo who gave to DeSantis’ political committee live in Ocean Reef. All 17 of them had given the governor contributions of $5,000 each through December 2020, according to the Florida Division of Elections.
The newspaper says DeSantis’ spokesperson says “the governor was not involved in selecting the Ocean Reef Club for the early vaccine distribution. She did not explain how the club obtained so many doses ahead of others.”
This wouldn’t be the first time DeSantis is accused of helping a wealthy community obtain vaccines. Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried says she will be holding a news conference today to address his “red carpet vaccine distribution for donors.”
Vaccines for political dollars is corruption at its worst — costing lives, time, and trust. We need an independent investigation now.
According to CNBC “Fried cited other reports, too, of pop-up vaccination sites appearing in affluent neighborhoods reportedly connected to DeSantis’ donors.”
