Florida Department of Health Announces 58 Percent of Brevard County Citizens Have Been Vaccinated

All three major hospital systems in Brevard County are reporting near capacity levels of patients

BREVARD COUNTY, FLORIDA – Failure to get vaccinated or fully vaccinated for COVID-19 enhances the possibility that the virus could spread and mutate into potentially more deadly variants, Brevard County health experts say.

All three major hospital systems in Brevard County are reporting near capacity levels of patients with COVID-19 symptoms. The vast majority of those patients are unvaccinated.

In Brevard County, 58 percent of the population have been vaccinated, according to the Florida Department of Health-Brevard (DOH-Brevard).

“We have seen about a 98 to 99 percent non-vaccinated rate among our patients admitted with COVID-related illness and disease,” said Dr. Nik Moradi with Steward Health Group.

“I think that a lot of us have noticed, let’s say we go shopping at Publix or somewhere, it’s clearly stated with signs on the doors that say if fully vaccinated masks are voluntary. If not fully vaccinated masks are mandatory, and yet when you look around maybe one or two percent of people are wearing masks, but only 50 percent are vaccinated. Well, to me, those numbers don’t add up. So people aren’t playing by the rules and that might be partially contributing to the breakout we have.”

While it’s being described as a pandemic of the unvaccinated, the threat is still a concern for those vaccinated, medical experts said.

“That’s going to be a concern if we don’t have more people vaccinated,” said Barry Inman, epidemiologist with Florida Department of Health-Brevard (DOH-Brevard).

“The virus can continue to replicate and replicate and it’s going to get more efficient at attaching to our cells, our respiratory cells, and other cells for that matter in our body, so that’s a concern. We also have to be cognizant that this is a small world and I think in the world we have just over a billion people that may be vaccinated. There’s seven billion people on this planet, so we’ve got a large task in front of us. The best thing we can do is try to reduce the onset of other variants is to get vaccinated.”

Added Moradi, “The more we get vaccinated, the less likely it is for these nasty variants to pop up.”

Vaccines are available throughout Brevard County.

At DOH-Brevard, 255 Judge Fran Jamieson Way in Viera, the two-doses Moderna and Pfizer and one-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccinations are offered, based on availability.

Pfizer is suitable for ages 12 and older; Moderna and Janssen are suitable for ages 18 and older. Ample supplies of vaccine are also available at area pharmacies, urgent care centers, and from your private physician. Residents who are ages 12 and older are recommended to get vaccinated.

On Friday, August 6, DOH-Brevard will host an outreach vaccination clinic at Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church, 300 Malabar Road in Palm Bay from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.

CVS, Publix, Sam’s Club, Walgreens, Walmart, and Winn-Dixie also provide the COVID-19 vaccine at specific locations throughout Brevard County for those eligible.

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