90-year-old Margaret Keenan, the first patient in the UK to receive the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine – Courtesy: Shutterstock – Photo by Alex Gakos
The latest COVID-19 vaccination, which is anticipated to become available this month, has been advised against by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who on Thursday criticized recent efforts around the country to stem a recent rise in cases through temporary limitations or masks.
DeSantis was criticized at a press conference in Jacksonville, Florida, on the same day that his campaign for the GOP presidential nomination in 2024 sent out an email to supporters pledging to “fight back against every bogus attempt the Left makes to expand government control” with regards to COVID-19 precautions.
DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo promised at the news conference at an Irish bar in Jacksonville that Florida will not follow other states, localities, or school districts throughout the country in temporarily closing schools or requiring mask use due to the recent rise of COVID-19 cases.
No objections, according to Lapado, exist to receiving the most recent vaccination. There are numerous warning signs, he said.
Federal health agencies issued a public letter stating that Ladapo’s prior statements against the COVID-19 vaccination were false and dangerous to the general population. The letter was sent to Ladapo in March by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Ladapo is a DeSantis appointee who has come under fire nationally for standing closely with the governor in opposing COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other federally supported health policies.
In contrast to the recommendations of federal public health authorities who believe that all children should receive immunizations, Ladapo last year produced guidance advising against the COVID-19 vaccination for healthy children.
“It is the job of public health officials around the country to protect the lives of the populations they serve, particularly the vulnerable. Fueling vaccine hesitancy undermines this effort,” said the letter signed by FDA Commissioner Robert Califf and then-CDC Director Rochelle Walensky.
Nearly two weeks had passed since three Black individuals were shot and killed in Jacksonville by a 21-year-old white supremacist who, according to officials, left behind musings that resembled “the diary of a madman.” DeSantis’ statement at a vigil held the day after the shootings drew jeers from the audience.
DeSantis approved a law this year permitting open carry of firearms without a state’s permission. He has riled up civil rights activists by mocking “wokeness.”
An unidentified guy made the claim that the governor’s policies contributed to the shootings during the question-and-answer portion of the news conference on Thursday. The governor shot back fiercely, adding that he shouldn’t be held accountable for the actions of “some madman.”
“I’m not going to allow you to accuse me of committing criminal activity,” DeSantis said. “I’m not going to take that! I’m not going to take that!”
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Mike has more than 30 years of experience in marketing and public relations. He once owned his own agency and has worked with some of the largest brands in the world.
