I’m so freaking mad today. Our family and families across the state with kids under the age of 5 are so close - SO CLOSE - to having vaccines for our kids. But thanks to Governor DeSantis, Florida families are going to have to wait even longer. 

Florida is the only state that did not meet the deadline to order the new, COVID-19 vaccines for children under the age of 5 to be shipped when approved, which is expected in days. You read that right. The ONLY state. 

Our kids' health shouldn’t be a political game! SIGN NOW to tell Governor DeSantis to order the COVID-19 vaccines for children aged 6 months to 5 years old immediately!

This is especially bad news for families because many of the federal options - like your local CVS or grocery store pharmacy - will be unable to give vaccines to children under the age of three because of limitations on pharmacy vaccination ages. Meaning some families will have effectively little to no vaccine options for kids in our state. 

Worst of all, this wasn’t an oversight. This was INTENTIONAL. Press secretary for the Florida Department of Health, Jeremy Redfern said the state “chose not to participate” because they don’t want to “be involved in the convoluted process.”  

Translation: Unlike every other state in our nation, our state leaders don’t want to do their job of keeping our kids safe because it’s inconvenient to them.

Tell Governor DeSantis to DO YOUR JOB and stop playing politics with our kids' health and well-being. Order the under 5 COVID-19 vaccines NOW!

Do you know what is inconvenient, scary, and hard Governor DeSantis?

Record COVID-19 pediatric hospitalizations in some of our communities. Parents and caregivers delaying pre-k, child care COVID outbreaks, taking unpaid time off during COVID outbreaks, and praying this sniffle isn’t the time my kid has COVID-19. 

Florida families deserve better than inaction from our state leaders. 

For a state that talks about parent choice often, Governor DeSantis and our state leadership have just taken away my choice and the choice of parents across our state to vaccinate and protect our kids from getting sick with COVID-19 as much as possible.

Personally, all I want is to vaccinate my 3 year old so I can finally feel like she has some protection from getting sick and risking the long-term impacts of COVID-19 - like multisystem inflammatory syndrome. Why is Governor DeSantis standing in the way of keeping my kid safe? 

We have to speak up and in a BIG way. The more of us who speak up, the more likely we are to get the vaccine order more quickly. So please share this with your friends and family and ask them to sign the petition.

And to stay up to date with the latest on kid vaccines, you can check out this CDC website (to be updated with more details on the new under 5 vaccine in the coming weeks): https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/planning/children/6-things-to-know.html