Dr. Anthony Fauci was baffled by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s (R) call for a grand jury to “investigate crimes and wrongdoing” in the distribution of COVID-19 vaccines.
During an interview with CNN’s Kate Bolduan, Fauci emphasized that vaccines have saved millions of lives and over $1 trillion in costs and struggled to understand DeSantis’s demand for an inquiry.
DESANTIS CALLS FOR FLORIDA GRAND JURY OVER COVID-19 VACCINES
“I don’t have a clue, Kate, what he’s asking for. I mean, we have a vaccine that unequivocally is highly effective and safe and has saved literally millions of lives,” Fauci said. “So what’s the problem with vaccines? I mean, vaccines are lifesaving. So quite frankly, Kate, I’m not sure what — what they’re trying to do down there.”
DeSantis is petitioning the Supreme Court of Florida to green-light a grand jury investigation. He announced the gambit Tuesday and spewed allegations that the vaccines caused harm to some Floridians. He also unveiled the formation of a public health integrity committee to counter the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which he bashed for “serving to advance narratives rather than do evidence-based medicine.”
The Sunshine State governor’s machinations over the vaccines seemingly put him at odds with possible 2024 rival, former President Donald Trump, who has publicly backed the vaccines, much to the chagrin of some elements of his base.
“The Commonwealth Fund has come out with a report just this past week, that vaccinations that have been administered over this period of time — this last year and a half to two years — has saved 3.2 million lives, 18 million hospitalizations, and approximately $1 trillion in costs,” Fauci further contended.
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Backlash over COVID-19 suppression measures such as lockdowns and mask mandates catapulted DeSantis to national attention and made him a darling for Republicans. Fauci, 81, by contrast, emerged as a boogeyman for many conservatives who raged against him for championing stringent virus containment measures.
Fauci has been on a media tour as he nears the end of his roughly 50-year tenure in government when he steps down as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and chief medical adviser to President Joe Biden later this month. The outgoing doctor has criticized the polarization surrounding the country’s response to the outbreak of the coronavirus.
