MIAMI (WSVN) - A first look at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s review of the Pfizer vaccine ahead of Thursday’s meeting supports data that it is safe and 95% effective.
The data also appeared to show the vaccine was 82% effective after the first dose. Pfizer recommends two doses weeks apart for full protection against COVID-19.
“As we head into the holidays, coronavirus cases are rising across Miami-Dade,” Miami-Dade County Mayor Daniella Levine Cava said. “What we all do now will make a difference.”
Levine Cava announced the launch of a new campaign on Tuesday, called “We Can, We Will,” to urge people to continue to wear masks, wash their hands and to stay away from crowded areas.
“We will celebrate our residents and our businesses that are doing the right thing,” Levine Cava said. “We will motivate our community to enjoy our beautiful parks and open spaces.”
While the nation awaits the vaccine approval, COVID-19 cases continue to rise.
The Florida Department of Health on Tuesday reported 7,985 new coronavirus cases statewide, with over 1,800 cases in Miami-Dade alone.
Miami-Dade County Chief Medical Officer Dr. Peter Paige expects the numbers to continue climbing.
“We still have months to go before we’re able to breathe a sigh of relief,” he said.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis discussed what vaccine distribution across the state will look like.
“I think in terms of the most at-risk population we’ll be able to target first, and then simultaneously, the kind of high contact, which will have the most impact on our healthcare system,” DeSantis said. “Then, we think, based on the numbers, at the end of December, we can start getting it out on the broader senior population, and then January, really focus on vaccinating as many elderly people as we can.”
Jackson Memorial Hospital in Miami will be one of the first hospitals to receive the vaccine for distribution.
Levine Cava was joined by other local leaders, including Miami Beach Mayor Dan Gelber, during the Tuesday news conference.
“Our effort needs to follow the model of unity that has helped us and served us so well and protected us, frankly, and all these other types of challenges,” Gelber said.
Speaking with reporters Monday afternoon, City of Miami Mayor Francis Suarez said they have been taking aggressive action to shut down businesses found to be in violation of safety guidelines during the coronavirus pandemic.
“We were out in force this weekend, and I know we shut down some major parties that were sort of underground parties, particularly in the Wynwood area and the Little Havana area and, I think, one in the Brickell area,” he said.
Members of the public are advised by health officials to continue following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines and get tested regularly to help slow the spread of the virus.
“We are the ones who are in control of whether we shut down or not,” said Alfred Sanchez, the president and CEO of the Greater Miami Chamber of Commerce. “We can do that simply by following the guidelines that we know that will keep us safe.”
7SkyForce HD hovered over the testing site at Hard Rock Stadium on Tuesday morning where another long line of vehicles could be seen waiting for the opportunity to get tested.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools Superintendent Alberto Carvalho announced the district will provide free COVID-19 testing for employees at three different sites.
“The remarkable partnership is that this will be free to the county and free to the employees, no cost incurred,” Carvalho said.
The testing will begin on Thursday and will continue as long as it’s needed.
Meanwhile, the New York Times has reported the Trump Administration had the opportunity for more doses of the Pfizer vaccine this summer but declined.
The White House pushed back.
“This president contracted for doses of this vaccine from many different companies, 100 million doses, and those involved in negotiations say that’s just simply not true,” said White House spokesperson Kayleigh McEnany.
Click here to find out more about Miami-Dade County’s latest COVID-19 initiative.
Copyright 2024 Sunbeam Television Corp. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.