Thank you for listening to the City of Plantation's Podcast. In this episode, we welcome Chief Joel Gordon, we are speaking about the availability of vaccines throughout Broward County, the sites where individuals can receive a vaccine, the current Executive Order from the Governor, and some options people have. We also address some of the concerns that people have about getting vaccinated. This Podcast is aimed at keeping the residents of Plantation informed of events and important information happening throughout our city. Please subscribe to this podcast, as we will be producing new episodes regularly.
Hosts: Joel Gordon and Ezra Lubow
Music: Oakwood Station
Graphics: City of Plantation
Thank you for listening to the City of Plantation's Podcast. In this episode, we welcome Chief Joel Gordon, we are speaking about the availability of vaccines throughout Broward County, the sites where individuals can receive a vaccine, the current Executive Order from the Governor, and some options people have. We also address some of the concerns that people have about getting vaccinated. This Podcast is aimed at keeping the residents of Plantation informed of events and important information happening throughout our city. Please subscribe to this podcast, as we will be producing new episodes regularly.
Hosts: Joel Gordon and Ezra Lubow
Music: Oakwood Station
Graphics: City of Plantation
Welcome to the city of plantations podcast. I am Carrie Blanchard, battalion chief of public affairs for the plantation fire department. Thank you for tuning in our podcast is designed to keep you up to date on all the latest happenings and activities in about and around the city of plantation on our episodes. We talked directly with the leaders decision makers and the movers and shakers we'll make plantation the great city that it is.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to another episode of the city of plantation podcast in a studio with me today is chief Gordon. He doesn't get an opportunity to come interface with us very often, but we wanted to present them information related to the vaccination programs throughout the state of Florida. Touch briefly on the governor's executive orders and just get all the information that we have out to you. So you can make an informed decision and go out and get vaccinated. Welcome back to you, Gordon all. Thank you so much. It's great to be here. Yeah, you're right. I don't get a chance to do this very often. So when I do, it's a lot of fun and I really enjoy being here. So thanks for having me. Excellent, welcome. Yeah. So, you know, the, the whole vaccine thing, um, has really been an interesting ride, uh, in the, in the short time that we've dealt with it. It's, um, you know, it there's been a lot of information. A lot of it's been confusing and I, I think we need to establish right upfront that we're not experts in this at all. Right. Uh, we're far more like spectators, maybe, maybe informed spectators if you will. Um, but you know, we w w we're not here to give advice. Right. I think that's important to establish, um, that we're just gonna, you know, talk about what we know. Right. Um, and certainly if, if our listeners need to verify something, they need to go to a source to, to G sure. So I think, you know, the important thing to understand is this has been very, very fluid. Um, and it's been fluid because it's been progressive. So in other words, it's growing and it's changing almost by the minute. Right. Um, and I think the biggest thing that everybody needs to know is as of April 5th, the governor has amended the executive order on the vaccinations to allow for any Floridian, 18 years of age or older to receive a COVID vaccine. Excellent. And, you know, and then you get into the discussion of, well, which one, because we know there's three of them out there, right. Uh, we have the Pfizer and the Medina, and now the Johnson and Johnson, which is the single dose. Right. And, you know, I think from our perspective, what we've heard and what we've seen and what we've read it almost doesn't matter. Right. And from, I mean, the reality is it's, it's going to boil down to a matter of convenience, right? Some people were going to say, I want the Johnson and Johnson, because I don't want to have to go back for two shots. I only want a single dose and, you know, and that's going to be their option, but not all the sites. If I understand correctly, not all the sites have a guarantee
Speaker 3:Of what vaccination they're going to have. Right.
Speaker 2:Correct. And it, it has a lot to do with the supply chain. So you have, and it's important to understand that different sites are being run by different institutions. Uh, so depending on where you go, uh, is which vaccine you're going to get. So understand you have federal run sites, which are actually being operated by FEMA. You have the state run sites, which are being run by a department of emergency management. And then you have,
Speaker 3:[inaudible] interrupt you, they have two different operations, right?
Speaker 2:Correct. And then you have the, the local, some of the municipalities are doing their own, uh, and then you have the commercial operations, you have Publix and Walgreens and CVS and all those others that are also offering them as well. So it's really a matter of educating yourself on where you're going and which one you want.
Speaker 3:Right. And while we really don't want to dive into the science about the differences between the vaccines and the, uh, effectiveness of the vaccines, because a lot of that data is emerging and changing. We do want to encourage you to get vaccinated. Absolutely. I know there are a lot of concerns and even some conspiracies out there, but at the end of the day of vaccination programs in this country, you have done amazing things. I mean, we obliterated smallpox through a vaccination program that diseases doesn't even exist in this country anymore. And, um, you know, we've made great strides with diseases like measles, mumps, rubella, things that, Oh yeah. You know, I understand people's hesitancy because of the rapid speed of the deployment of the vaccines, but at the end of the day, the benefit outweighs the risk wouldn't you agree? Absolutely.
Speaker 2:And I think the statistics are, are starting to prove that out. Um, and I just grabbed a couple of the latest and greatest from Broward County. Um, and just really briefly here in Broward County, as of April 5th, again, there's the total number of vaccinations that have been completed are 322,000. Well, the total number of Broward County residents who have received at least one dose is 865,000. So, you know, it, it is accessible. And that's my point with those numbers. I don't want to deep dive into the statistics, but the point is there, there is access to it. And you're absolutely a hundred percent correct. Uh, the vaccines have proven themselves throughout history to be successful. And I think the, the, the data that we are getting back at this point is it is safe. You know, there've been the outlier stories, but if you look at the history of vaccinations, there's always outliers, correct. And of course you don't want to be that outlier, but in, in the big scheme of things, the, the risk is extremely low and the benefits are incredibly high. You know, we talk about herd immunity, we talk about isolation and we've seen up until now that our efforts have not been successful, but now that we're starting to see the vaccine rollouts in, in large, you know, large quantities, we're starting to see those numbers.
Speaker 3:Right. And we know, I mean, we know through, uh, at least in the state of Florida, we know for a reduction in fatalities that are related to COVID or reduction of hospitalizations related to COVID or reduction in emergency room visits related to COVID all that's occurring. And, uh, it's difficult to overlook the fact that we do have a pretty significant vaccination program going on. So again, you know, we, we encourage vaccinations, obviously it's a personal choice and everyone's got to make it, but I think that we move ahead by vaccinating as many people as possible. And, um, the one other note that I, that I kind of want to hit on, I think is we've gotten a lot of questions and input, and this is directed for you. We've got a lot of questions and input about, you know, why is the CDC recommending NIC continual use of masks even after vaccination? And I think that that message has created a lot of confusion. Do you want to touch on that and kind of explain why? Sure,
Speaker 2:Sure. So, yeah, you know, it's, it is confusing because here, we're saying, you know, this is, this is the answer. This is the resolution, but don't change what you're doing. Um, and yeah, that can be conflicting, but it's important to understand that number one, not everybody is getting the vaccination, like you said, it becomes a personal choice. So there are still those out there. And I think we have to, you know, even though we're talking about reduction in, in occurrences, we have to highlight the fact that the younger population has been resistant to this, and we're starting to see surges or, you know, like re resurgence if you will, of cases of infection, but all in the younger people, predominantly who are not getting the vaccine. So we know we know enough about it, to know that it's safe, we know enough about it to know it's effective, but we don't know enough about it to know under what conditions it can be effective or long-term. So the answer is stay vigilant, keep doing what we're doing. And we're only talking about really what is considered good normal hygiene with the exception of the masks, which is, you know, a little unusual hand washing. So social, social distancing, I'm sorry, covering your, your cough, covering your sneeze. Those are all standard hygiene practices that we should be doing every single day.
Speaker 3:I learned those things in grade
Speaker 2:School kindergarten. I think we learned that, right? Yeah. Wash your hands before you eat lunch. Um, so, you know, it's not that odd. It's just that we've highlighted it. So now people have lumped it all together with the mask wearing, you know, and I think it's just a matter that if we stay vigilant, stay the course. Um, I think we see some kind of light at the end of the tunnel. It may be afraid train, but you know, we do see some light. And I think the common discussion amongst the professionals is if we stay the course, we may start to see, uh, something approaching normality, if you will, for lack of a better term by the end of the summer.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I mean, the interesting thing is I've been talking about masks for a while, as far as, uh, on their show. And then, you know, in our, in my everyday normal daily work life, and
Speaker 2:You've been pounding the drum, let's put it that way and, and rightfully so. I might've.
Speaker 3:Well, yeah. And, and what I think is, you know, this is nothing new to the world. This is new in the United States because we've never done it, but anybody who follows medicine internationally, you see that in most Asian countries, when there is when it's flu season, everyone's in math, it doesn't have to be mandated. People are just taking personal responsibility, wearing masks. So they don't, uh, you know, spread the flu. And so to us, it's a little foreign in new, obviously after a little bit over a year, not so foreign and new, but internationally, it's not a new thing. And, um, you know, I think even with the vaccinations rolling out, like you mentioned, there are going to be people who aren't vaccinated. They're going to be people who have other, uh, issues going on, like flu, or, you know, even run a ride us or any type of thing.
Speaker 2:Yeah. We can forget the normal seasonal situations that go on. Right.
Speaker 3:So the masking just helps it, it's an additional layer of protection. And, um, and yeah, so I think you're absolutely right. I think there is light at the end of the tunnel. I think we have to hold the course and, uh, kind of get over the what's that catch phrase. It's COVID exhaustion, but
Speaker 2:You're using another word. Um, yeah. COVID fatigue. COVID fatigue.
Speaker 3:Yeah. So we got to get over that COVID fatigue do the right thing, you know, and, uh, and I think we get through it. Anything else to add any other information be important for our listeners?
Speaker 2:No, I think, I think we covered it. I think again, it's just important to underscore this stay vigilant for now. Um, we're almost there. We're, we're very close. I, you know, I, I, there was a comment made the other day. Um, and I caught, it was a news clip from a physician where he said, let's not spike the ball on the five yard line, you know? And I thought that was just perfect.
Speaker 3:Perfect. It is once you've Gordon, we certainly appreciate your time. Thank you for coming back. Enjoyed being here. I think this is a good message to get out and to all our people. What do we always tell them? Chief Gordon? I forgot.
Speaker 2:It's been so all. Yeah. Wash your hands. Weigh a mask and keep your distance. Sorry. All right, everyone take care and be well, take care everybody. Bye. Bye.
Speaker 1:You've been listening to the city of plantation podcast restrict to bring your accurate and timely information. Please continue to tune into our podcast episodes and also catch up with us on social media, including Twitter, Facebook, and next door. If you have questions, send them to ask cityHall@plantation.org, and we will answer your questions directly. Thank you for taking the time to listen to our podcast and stay safe, everyone.