Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) and Florida‘s surgeon general are warning residents under the age of 65 against the new COVID-19 booster, the administration’s latest move against the advice of federal public health officials.
DeSantis and Florida Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladapo held a livestreamed call titled “No Way FDA” with other doctors on Wednesday to argue that there is not enough evidence that the booster shots’ benefits outweigh the risks.
ROMNEY ACKNOWLEDGES PITCHING MANCHIN ON STARTING THIRD PARTY AHEAD OF 2024
“I will not stand by and let the FDA and CDC use healthy Floridians as guinea pigs for new booster shots that have not been proven to be safe or effective,” the Florida governor said in a statement following the call. “Once again, Florida is the first state in the nation to stand up and provide guidance based on truth, not Washington edicts.”
The Food and Drug Administration approved updated COVID-19 vaccinations on Monday as hospitalizations related to new strains of the virus have increased. The World Health Organization is currently monitoring several new strains of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, including the BA.2.86 and EG.5 strains as well as two variations of the omicron XBB lineage.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending that people ages 5 and older receive a single dose of the updated vaccine, one of several tools that the federal government is rolling out to protect against COVID-19, influenza, and other illnesses expected to hit this winter.
DeSantis has touted his administration’s response to COVID-19 since the days of the Trump administration. He had praised former President Donald Trump for the quick rollout of the vaccine, but since 2021, he has reversed his positions on the vaccine.
The Florida governor was a vocal supporter of in-person learning and kept schools open while banning mask requirements for Florida’s nearly 3 million public K-12 students during the height of the pandemic.
In May, DeSantis signed legislation banning vaccine passports and mask requirements in Florida’s schools and businesses — a move that came months after he formed a state committee looking to counter federal health policy recommendations, claiming the federal government was misleading the public on the vaccines’ efficiency.
CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER
Florida leads the U.S. in new COVID-19 hospitalizations, with 11.81 per 100,000 in the week ending Sept. 2 — a 4.4% increase from the previous week.
The Washington Examiner reached out to the CDC for comment.
