OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis is pushing back hard on the Biden administration’s latest pandemic recommendations.
On Friday, the GOP governor rejected the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s updated guidelines recommending that children get a COVID-19 vaccine.
The declaration came after the CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices voted unanimously to recommend that kids six months and older, as well as adults, get a vaccine and/or booster shot when they are eligible.
“There’s been a lot of questions to our office about the CDC potentially adding COVID vaccine to the childhood immunization schedule,” DeSantis said. “And I know a lot of parents are concerned about that because if that’s on the immunization schedule, the fear is that schools could potentially mandate your child to get a COVID shot, even if that’s not something that you want to do.
“So I just want to let everyone be clear, as long as I’m around, and as long as I’m kicking and screaming, there will be no COVID shot mandates for your kids. That is your decision,” he added. “That is your decision to make as a parent.
“These are new shots. I get a kick out of it when people kind of compare it to MMR and stuff, things that have been around for decades and decades. So parents, by and large, most parents in Florida have opted against doing these booster shots for … the young kids,” the governor said.
“The Surgeon General of Florida does not recommend this for young kids, for kids under 18. And basically, his reason for that [is] there’s not really been a proven benefit for that … but it’s a free state, parents can make the other decision if that’s what they want. The important thing is, is that school districts are not mandating this choice,” he added.
As long as I am Governor, in Florida there will not be a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for children in our schools. pic.twitter.com/oDXAj3c4Oy
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 20, 2022
Earlier this month, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo issued a statement recommending against young men ages 18 to 39 from taking the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines due to a heightened risk of cardiac injury or death.
“This analysis found that there is an 84% increase in the relative incidence of cardiac-related death among males 18-39 years old within 28 days following mRNA vaccination,” the statement said. “With a high level of global immunity to COVID-19, the benefit of vaccination is likely outweighed by this abnormally high risk of cardiac-related death among men in this age group.
“Non-mRNA vaccines were not found to have these increased risks. As such, the State Surgeon General recommends against males aged 18 to 39 from receiving mRNA COVID-19 vaccines,” the statement added. “Those with preexisting cardiac conditions, such as myocarditis and pericarditis, should take particular caution when making this decision.”
DeSantis has received wide praise for his handling of the pandemic and other issues facing the state, including from top Democrats.
Palm Beach County Commissioner David Kerner, a Democrat who used to serve as mayor of the county, the third-largest blue enclave in Florida, announced this week he will campaign daily until Election Day on behalf of DeSantis, who is running for a second term.
“Every day until November 8, I will campaign for Governor DeSantis and on November 8, I will vote for Governor DeSantis. And today, I proudly endorse Governor Ron DeSantis for re-election as the Governor of the great state of Florida,” Kerner said earlier this month.
“As an aside, Governor, I am very proud that you felt that my endorsement was worthy of acceptance. And I’m so delighted that we’ve had this opportunity to be here in public with the community to make it official,” he added at a press conference.
“This was not a difficult choice for me. This was not the proverbial lesser of two evils. Governor DeSantis has demonstrated himself beyond worthy of the humbling duties of this office,” Kerner continued.
“And he has done so with the level of dignity, purpose, and respect that is lost in the public sphere today. It may come as a shock to many of you, or at least many of my friends that as a Democratic elected officer in deep blue Palm Beach County, I’m endorsing a Republican governor,” he said.
