VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. — The state has given thousands of doses of the coronavirus vaccine to local hospitals across Florida. But some doctors and patients claim local hospitals are prioritizing their own patients before making the vaccine available to the general public.

What You Need To Know

  •  Doctors and patients are complaining that some hospitals are prioritizing their own patients when it comes to administering the COVID-19 vaccine

  •  Opponents of the practice say it's not fair to the vaccine-seeking community at large

  • Private doctors say they have not received any vaccine doses to give to their patients

Sandi Boggs says she’s tried to reserve an appointment during every vaccine opportunity that’s popped up in Volusia County.

With her underlying health conditions, she needs the vaccine.

“With all of the things that are wrong with me, it could probably kill me,” said Boggs.

She was encouraged last month when state administrators made it clear people like her — under 65 but vulnerable to complications from COVID-19 — could get shots at hospitals. And the state directed 30,000 doses to health care systems across the state.  AdventHealth says it only got about 500 of those.

Boggs still hasn’t had any luck finding a shot.

“It’s been very frustrating, very frustrating,” said Boggs.

Marni Jameson Carey represents the Association of Independent Doctors.

“What I’ve been hearing from the independent doctors is that the health systems in our community have prioritized the patients that belong to their employed physicians, and that is not fair to the community,” said Carey.

Carey says local hospitals have not reached out to doctors she represents — who have private practices — with vaccine availability.

“They get free vaccines from the government, and then they choose to distribute those only to their doctors — employed physicians’s patients — and not to the independent doctors’ patients,” said Carey.

One of Boggs's doctors is affiliated with AdventHealth, but she says he told her she’d have to be admitted into the hospital to get the vaccine.

“I don’t want to make myself an inpatient just to get a vaccine,” Boggs said.

An Orlando Health spokesperson sent a statement saying: “At the request of AHCA, doses received by Orlando Health will be directed towards medically vulnerable patients being cared for at our facilities.”

AdventHealth sent a response saying the last time they got a general supply of vaccine from the state, they made it available to anyone eligible under state and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.

Spectrum News 13 reached out to the CDC to see if they have any guidelines on hospitals and if they are allowed to prioritize their own patients over others, but so far has not heard back. ​