Those 55+ With Underlying Medical Conditions Can Get COVID Vaccines at Miami-Dade’s Jackson Health System

The appointments will be by invitation only to those patients that meet the current criteria.

Jackson Health System patients who are 55 years of age or older, live in Miami-Dade County, have seen a Jackson physician in the last year, and have at least one of seven medical conditions could soon receive COVID-19 vaccines.

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The appointments will be by invitation only, Jackson Health System CEO Carlos Migoya announced Tuesday during the county’s Public Health Trust board meeting. Vaccinations begin Wednesday.

The Medical Conditions

The Jackson patients were identified through the system’s electronic health records. They have at least one of the following conditions:

▪ Renal failure with dialysis

▪ Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)

▪ Coronary artery disease with bypass

▪ Cardiomyopathy

▪ Congestive heart failure

▪ Sickle cell disease

▪ Solid organ transplant

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Eligible patients will be vaccinated at one of Jackson’s three sites: the Christine E. Lynn Rehabilitation Center in Miami, the North Dade Health Center in Miami Gardens, and the Jackson South Medical Center in Kendall.

Hoping to Expand

Under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ December executive order, people who are under 65 years old but have health conditions that make them significantly more vulnerable to COVID-19 and its effects must get their vaccines through a hospital program.

More than 10,000 Jackson patients fit into the category of having at least one of the seven conditions. “That’s why we are starting with extremely narrow criteria,” Migoya said, adding that Jackson hopes to soon expand this group to people outside Miami-Dade County or to those under 55 years of age.

Baptist Health was the only hospital system taking appointments for people under 65 with those underlying conditions. But due to a lack of vaccines, last week it canceled all its first dose appointments. For more information and updates visit https://baptisthealth-coronavirus.com/en/vaccine.