Publix decides not to vaccinate kids under 5 ‘at this time’

Florida’s largest COVID-19 vaccine supplier has decided not to vaccinate children under 5, less than a week after the FDA approved use of the shot.

But that is all Publix would say.

The Lakeland-based grocery chain told the Tampa Bay Times on Wednesday that it will not offer the vaccine to children 4 and under “at this time.”

Their statement comes days after Florida became the only state not to preorder the vaccine for children under 5, who number around 18 million across the United States. Gov. Ron DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo repeatedly have recommended against vaccinating children.

[ RELATED: Florida didn’t preorder COVID shots for kids under 5, as CDC approval nears ]

Florida’s other major vaccine distributors have not followed suit. Walmart and Walgreens both confirmed to the South Florida Sun Sentinel that they will offer the vaccine to children 3 and older, while CVS confirmed that its MinuteClinic locations will vaccinate children over 18 months.

Publix’s reasoning may be political. The grocery chain, which is also Florida’s largest private employer, donated $150,000 to DeSantis’ re-election campaign. Publix heiress Julie Fancelli came under fire for helping to bankroll the Jan. 6 rally that preceded the insurrection. The Julia J. Fancelli Living Trust also has donated $55,000 to the PAC Friends of Ron DeSantis.

But the company’s decision not to vaccinate children may have practical underpinnings as well. Pharmacists, pharmacy interns, and pharmacy technicians are only authorized to vaccinate children 3 and older under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness Act, which is why Walgreens won’t offer the vaccine to children below that age, according to company spokesperson Eve Zibel.

CVS’ MinuteClinic has nurse practitioners, nurses, and physician associates on staff, who are legally allowed to vaccinate children below 3 years of age, as well as private exam rooms.

“I can’t comment on Publix’s decision because perhaps they don’t have that expertise in their pharmacies,” said Broward County Commissioner Jared Moskowitz, a former director of the Florida Division of Emergency Management who helped with the initial vaccine distribution efforts. “Pediatricians are able to get the shot and will be able to order it; hospitals will be able to get the shot. Obviously, it’s up to the parents.”

Private providers should be able to vaccinate children of all ages, but due to delays in preordering vaccines and the nature of vaccine distribution, pediatricians may have difficulties successfully administering them, limiting parents’ options.

[ RELATED: Feds: COVID vaccines for Florida kids available, but delayed after state failed to preorder doses ]

Josie Stone, a pediatrician at Advanced Pediatrics of Boca, says her practice simply doesn’t have the volume of patients that would make vaccine delivery cost effective, something they already dealt with when they tried to inoculate children under 12.

“We threw out a ton of vaccine,” Stone said. The vaccine comes in 10-dose vials, and all 10 doses must thaw in advance, so when patients fail to show up for their second or third dose appointments, doctors have to dispose of all 10 doses, not just a single dose.

Right now, she’s directing children to either Walgreens or CVS, depending on their age.

[ RELATED: With COVID vaccines available for kids younger than 5, should your child get one? ]

Moskowitz said there’s always a delay when the vaccine becomes available to a new age bracket, but the county should know more by next week.

Stone encouraged all children to get vaccinated, not just to protect themselves, but to protect others. Though her practice is small, several children who are patients there have been hospitalized with COVID.

“We sort of have a moral duty to society to protect those around us when we can,” she said. “There’s been hundreds of kids that have died. It might not be their neighbor, but kids have died from it.”