Tesla recalls nearly 4,000 Cybertrucks due to potential of accelerator stickingHCA Florida Fawcett Hospital nears completion of $60M expansion
Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar, center, speaks during a news conference on Operation Warp Speed and COVID-19 vaccine distribution, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021, in Washington. Standing alongside Azar from left are Dr. Moncef Slaoui, chief science adviser to Operation Warp Speed, Dr. Robert Redfield, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and U.S. Army Gen. Gustave Perna, chief operating officer of Operation Warp Speed. (AP Photo/Patrick Semansky, Pool) The federal government announced it will no longer hold back rollout of second doses for the coronavirus vaccine. The goal of holding back second doses was to ensure there was enough supply to make sure everyone could get that second shot. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar says manufacturing is now predictable enough that they can make sure second doses are available for anyone who gets a first dose. It took Tony Cimorelli and his wife in Cape Coral three tries to get their first doses. They traveled to Collier County to get vaccinated. “I just think it’s a big sigh of relief,” Cimorelli said. “It’s like a great big weight has been lifted off of your shoulders.” Although it took him a while to get the first shot, Cimorelli is not worried about getting the second one. Cimorelli agrees that we shouldn’t be holding back vaccines. “Let’s get as many people vaccinated as we can,” Cimorelli said. “Hopefully, the second dose will be there when we need it, but if you get more people vaccinated it’s going to be safer, less spread and less people dying” The Newmans say not so fast. Although only one of them is eligible for the vaccine, they’ve still had no luck getting calls back from the County or scheduling appointments for Mike Newman’s first dose. “We start with him and then hope that at some point soon I’ll be able to follow,” Brenda Newman said. They understand the push to release more vaccines, but they worry if the second shot will be there when everyone who got the first one needs it in the coming weeks. “I also worry that, if they do this, there won’t be the second doses, and I think that is a danger,” Brenda said. But they hope so. “We wanna be able to do stuff again,” Brenda said. We reached out to Florida Department of Health in Lee County about what releasing the doses reserved for the second shot would do for the county, but we haven’t heard back yet. Lee County says it will give you a call before you need the second dose, and in Collier County, the County will email you. RESOURCE: WINK News is working by the minute on a daily basis to bring our coverage areas in Southwest Florida the latest COVID-19 vaccine information from the counties you live in. Visit our COVID-19 vaccine schedules and information for SWFL story for rolling vaccine updates.