>>BRUCE HAMILTON: LOCAL FAMILIES CONCERNED VACCINE DISTRIBUTION EFFORTS ARE NOT
PRIORITIZING THOSE MOST
VULNERABLE IN LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITIES. BRUCE SCOTT WAS ON
A WAIT LIST TO RECEIVE THE
VACCINE. BUT HE DIED FROM
COMPLICATIONS OF COVID-19 A FEW
DAYS AGO BEFORE GETTING HIS
FIRST DOSE. >>JENNIFER WAUGH: NEWS 4 JAX REPORTER LENA PRINGLE SPOKE
WITH SCOTT’S FAMILY ABOUT WHAT
THEY’RE CALLING A FAILURE IN
THE VACCINE ROLLOUT SYSTEM.
>> AN INCREDIBLE SCENE HERE.
IT’S BEEN A MAN THEN CART
WONDERFUL. >>LENA PRINGLE: WONDERFUL HUMAN BEING THIS IS HOW SUSIE SCOTT
DESCRIBES HER HUSBAND OF 23
YEARS, BRUCE SCOTT SCOTT WAS A
FORMER JACKSONVILLE POLICE
OFFICER OWNER OF
SCOTT ALARM. A HUSBAND FATHER
GRANDFATHER AND HELD MANY OTHER
TITLES AND HIS FAMILY AND
COMMUNITY HE DIED LAST FRIDAY
DUE TO COVID-19 AFTER HE
STARTED SHOWING SYMPTOMS 5 DAYS
EARLIER THIS DISEASE WAS
DETERMINED TO
KILL HIM.
>> THEY GAVE HIM EVERY
TREATMENT THAT THERE IS OUT
THERE AND NOTHING SLOWING
IT DOWN.
>> NOTHING STOPPED IT. HE WENT
TO THE EMERGENCY ROOM
ON SUNDAY. THEY TOOK A PICTURE
OF HIS LONG AND AND AND FELT
THAT HE WAS OK TO
CONVALESCING RETURN. AND BY
TUESDAY WHEN HE WENT BACK TO
THE HOSPITAL IT JUST IT
AND TO NOT BE ABLE TO BE THERE
DURING THAT AND SOON TO KNOW THAT HIS FAMILY LEFT TURN. IT WOULDN’T BE ABLE TO HOLD HIS
HAND WAS.
EXCRUCIATING REALLY.
>> WE HAVE TO SAY SOON IT’S
VERY HARD. THIS IS VERY
VERY HARD.
>>LENA PRINGLE: SCOTT WAS
DIAGNOSED WITH DEMENTIA A FEW
YEARS AGO IN AS IS CONDITION
PROGRESSED HE WAS PLACED AT
HARBOR CHASE OF MANDARIN AND
ASSISTED LIVING FACILITY IN
JACKSONVILLE LAST OCTOBER HE
WAS SET TO RECEIVE THE
CORONAVIRUS VACCINE IN LESS
THAN
2 WEEKS.
>> ON JANUARY 23RD I HAVE SEEN
FRIENDS AND FAMILY MEMBERS
FASCINATED.
THE PEOPLE THAT ARE THE MOST
VULNERABLE IN
THESE FACILITIES. WE’RE
PROMISED IN ASSURING THAT THEY
WOULD BE THE FIRST ON THE LIST
TO BE VACCINATED AND THEY’RE
STILL WAITING.
THEY’RE STILL WAITING AND MY
HUSBAND.
>> WAS NOT ISOLATED AND IT’S
NOT UNCOMMON.
AND THAT’S A FAILURE IN
THE SYSTEM.
>>LENA PRINGLE: WHAT WORDS DO
YOU HAVE TO SAY TO OUR LOCAL
GOVERNING OFFICIALS WHO ARE
MAKING THESE DISTRIBUTION PLANS
WE’RE DECIDING WHO’S NEXT IN
LINE TO PICK UP. STEP IT UP AND
PROTECT THE PEOPLE.
>> PEOPLE THAT ARE THE MOST
VULNERABLE SHOULDN’T
PRIORITIZED.
THAT WAS ALREADY KNOWN 40% OR
MORE THAN JUST ACROSS THIS
COUNTRY
HAS HAPPENED IN LONG-TERM CARE
FACILITIES THEY KNEW THAT.
WE’RE THE NOT
PRIORITIZE WHY WAS HE NOT A PRIORITY SCOTT’S WIFE SAYS THERE MUST ALSO BE MORE
ORGANIZATION ACROSS COUNTY
LINES. SCOTT WILL BE LAID TO
REST THIS UPCOMING MONDAY.
THIS PANDEMIC. IT DOESN’T
TAKE SCIENCE. WE’LL TAKE
ANYBODY.
>> YOU KNOW IT’S AMAZINGLY NO BECAUSE THAT WILL THE SCOTT FAMILY HAD THEIR BUSINESS OR
SOMETHING LIKE 50 YEARS HERE IN
JACKSONVILLE, GAINESVILLE.
AND THIS IS A STORY THAT.
IS REPEATED HUNDREDS IF NOT
THOUSANDS OF TIMES OVER.
>>LENA PRINGLE: YEAH, I MEAN
JUST HAVING OF ALL OF THESE
HEARTBREAKING STORIES THAT
WE’VE BEEN TELLING FOR NOW
ABOUT WHAT 9 MONTHS.
I AND SO I REALLY GIVE CREDIT
TO THIS FAMILY AND ALL THE
FAMILIES THAT ARE EXPERIENCING
GRIEF LIKE THIS DUE TO THE
PANDEMIC AND IT’S JUST A
REMINDER FOR PEOPLE THAT THIS
IS SERIOUS AND THAT PEOPLE NEED
TO CONTINUE TO TAKE THE EXTRA
PRECAUTIONS AND IF YOU ARE
LUCKY ENOUGH TO GET JUST MAKE
SURE THAT YOU CAN CONTINUE TO
HELP OTHERS IN YOUR LOCAL
COMMUNITY DO THE SAME AND WE’VE
BEEN RECEIVING AT SEVERAL
EMAILS INTO THE I TEAM INTO
THE NEWSROOM.
>>JENNIFER WAUGH: SPECIFICALLY
POINTING THIS OUT NOT
UNDERSTANDING A LOVED ONE WHO
HAS SOMEONE WHO IS IN A AND
ASSISTED
LIVING FACILITY, HIS SITTING
AND WATCHING ON THE NEWS ALL
THESE LINES, YOU KNOW IT AT THE
DIFFERENT COUNTY HEALTH
DEPARTMENT THE PRIME OSBORN
SAYING WAIT
A MINUTE. WHY DO THOSE PEOPLE
GET PRECEDENT OVER MY LOVED ONE
WHO IS STILL WAITING TO GET
VACCINE WHEN THE GOVERNOR AND
THE CDC OF SAID LISTEN.
IT’S PEOPLE WHO ARE LIVING IN
THOSE ENVIRONMENTS WHO ARE THE
ONES THAT NEED TO GET THIS
FIRST AND THE REALITY IS FROM
WHAT WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO LEARN
IS THAT THIS ISN’T REALLY THE
INDIVIDUAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS,
BUT THERE’S THIS FEDERAL
PHARMACY PROGRAM THAT
WAS DESIGNED THAT IS SUPPOSED
TO BE ADMINISTERING THESE TO
THESE ASSISTED LIVING
FACILITIES SO IT SOUNDS AS IF
IT’S JUST TAKING ENTIRELY
TOO LONG.
>>LAUREN VERNO: YEAH AND TIME
THAT UNFORTUNATELY NOT EVERYONE
HAS I THINK WHAT IS
PARTICULARLY SAD IS THAT YOU
KNOW THEY SAID WELL WE LOOK AT
HIS LUNGS AND.
>> WE GAVE THE ALL CLEAR AND HE
WENT HOME AND THEN FOR THAT TO
HAPPEN JUST JUST HEARTBREAKING
AND HAD TO SAY GOODBYE. THE
TERRIBLE IT’S JUST YEAH, IT’S
HEARTBREAKING YOU KNOW, WE’LL