![https://eu.naplesnews.com/story/news/health/2021/02/24/coronavirus-vaccine-collier-county-north-collier-fire-vaccinate-pelican-bay/4539121001/](https://files.peakd.com/file/peakd-hive/arbitration/3RLcl5Yb-image.png)

Is there selective favoritism (political clout) at work in Florida's somewhat secretive schemes of distributing more or less vaccine to this or that county or community? 

It now appears my wife and I picked the wrong condo community.  If we had simply bought two or three miles further south in Pelican Bay (where we certainly looked) we could now be sure of being vaccinated by a local Fire Department - in an exclusive private clinic.

Those who live in any posh "assisted living" facilities anywhere (not just the two those mentioned in this article) were in the CDC's top-priority 1a category to begin.  The CDC's expert panel somehow confounded expensive gated retirement communities ($6000 a month or more) with urban nursing homes.  But assisted living simply means a bundle with services such as a dining room, housekeeping and organized recreation.  Such living arrangements do not imply illness or in-house health care, and are typically open to those over age 55 or 60.  But they were first in line for vaccines in almost every state, because central planners said so.

Because the federal government distributes vaccine to states on the basis of total population (including children) states like Florida  with an unusually high proportion of seniors do not get nearly enough to vaccinate seniors as rapidly as states with relatively few seniors like Utah or California.   Those with the most seniors will be last to get them vaccinated, if the vaccine distribution is based on total population rather than senior population. 

Ironically, the same mistake appears to be causing growing discontent about the Florida state's distribution among counties.   Since the state's monopoly of vaccine is largely being sent on the basis of total population rather than senior population, many of those in senior-heavy Collier, Lee and Charlotte counties either drive a few hours East or North to be vaccinated (if they're well enough) or they do without.   Unless they live in politically-influential neighborhoods like Pelican Bay, or CDC-favored assisted living facilities.
 
To his credit, Governor DeSantis was among the first to prioritize seniors rather than young people with "essential" jobs.  But that promise has far exceeded what actually gets delivered into places where disproportionate shares of  Floridian seniors actually live.