- The CEO of a
Florida healthcare provider personally invited wealthy donors to receiveCOVID-19 vaccinations that were intended for residents and staff of long-term-care facilities, according to a new Washington Post report. MorseLife Health System CEO Kevin Meyers offered thecoronavirus vaccinations to board members and donors, as well as to members of the Palm Beach Country Club, the Post reported.- Florida has begun vaccinating the general population, though supplies are limited and you must be 65-year-old or older to qualify.
MorseLife was not authorized to vaccinate nonresidents, according to the report.
Wealthy donors to a Florida-based nursing home and assisted-living facility were offered early access to COVID-19 vaccinations, according to a new report in the Washington Post.
MorseLife Health System CEO
"He asked me if I wanted to have a
MorseLife Health System advertises itself as providing "five-star senior living," and offers a variety of services including assisted living and nursing. The
Approximately one-fifth of Floridians are aged 65 and over, and - breaking with CDC guidelines - the state began vaccinating its general population in late December starting with that demographic. But organization has been a major issue, with different counties in Florida using different systems for signing up.
In some places, people lined up overnight for a chance to get vaccinated in first-come, first-served situations, NPR reported. In others, phone lines were flooded and websites crashed as people attempted to sign up.
It's not clear how many vaccinations MorseLife gave to donors, but every donor who confirmed with the Post that they received it is over 65 years old.
"If MorseLife is giving this vaccine away to the well-connected, they need to be held accountable for that," State Rep. Omari Hardy told the Post.
MorseLife Health System representatives didn't respond to a request for comment as of publishing.
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