ORLANDO — Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried is on the offensive.
Within two days, Florida’s only statewide elected Democrat has hosted two press conferences in two different cities, lambasting Gov. Ron DeSantis’ decision to not pre-order vaccinations for young children in Florida.
Fried is among a choir of Democratic officials, including the White House, angered by DeSantis’ refusal. The move, among other implications, means local health departments will not provide vaccines to young kids. Families will instead need to locate nearby providers at places such as CVS, Walgreens or doctors’ offices.
Speaking Tuesday in Orlando, Fried decried DeSantis’ decision as a political move. She warned the choice will make accessing vaccines more difficult, and may even endanger the lives of young children with health complications.
Florida is the only state in the nation not to secure an early supply of the vaccine, which is designed for kids older than six months old.
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“This is part of a continuing and concerted effort by the governor and his anti-science surgeon general to push dangerous conspiracy theories over proven public health measures and an attempt to take away parents rights to make their own decisions about their children’s health from their doctors,” Fried told reporters during a press conference at a hotel nearby Disney in Orlando.
A Democratic gubernatorial contender, Fried is a longtime critic of DeSantis. She’s attacked the GOP governor’s handling of the pandemic since its early stages, when DeSantis began peeling away from federal guidance such as mask mandates and school closures.
She even began hosting a daily COVID-19 press conference after Florida heath officials stopped reporting daily case numbers. Floridians, she said then and maintains now, need better leadership and more information.
“Because the governor has been void of his leadership and has been void of giving us information… we are hear to provide access and we are the only ones talking to the White House to make sure this information is given out to the people of our state,” Fried said Tuesday.
Though the vaccine will be available at pharmacies and primary care offices, Fried argues that without public health sites, many “underserved communities” may struggle to access the vaccine.
They, she contends, rely often on local health departments due to inadequate access to heath care, a potential lack of transportation and health insurance limitations.
Fried noted that Florida established a statewide network of mobile vaccination sites when COVID-19 vaccines were first released as a way to expedite distribution.
“This is a new program for our children and we should be doing everything possible to get these vaccines out and to make sure that they’re getting put into locations that provide access to those that are underserved,” Fried said.
DeSantis stands firm on COVID-19 position
Despite the mounting criticism and ongoing media attention over child vaccinations, DeSantis’ opposition to what he labels heavy-handed public health policy — and now vaccinations for young children — is unwavering.
DeSantis this week said he is “affirmatively against the COVID vaccine for young kids” and reaffirmed he would not devote any state resources to the new vaccine effort.
He and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo maintain there is a lack of evidence to suggest that healthy children need the vaccine. According to the CDC, children are indeed less likely to develop serious complications due to COVID-19.
Of the 75,096 COVID-19 deaths tallied in Florida, only 46 are categorized under the age of 16, according to the Florida Department of Health’s latest data.
“We are not going to have any programs where we’re trying to jab 6-month-old babies with mRNA,” DeSantis said Monday at a news conference. “We still have not ordered it. We’re not going to order it.”
The FDA authorized the first COVID-19 shots for infants and preschoolers on Friday, marking one of the final milestones in years-long federal vaccine effort. The Florida Department of Health, though, warns of “certain risks” for healthy children that “may outweigh the benefits.”
The outside experts commissioned by the Food and Drug Administration had voted unanimously last week that the benefits of the shots outweigh any risks for children under 5 — that’s roughly 18 million youngsters nationwide. They are the last age group in the U.S. without access to COVID-19 vaccines and many parents have been eager to protect their little children.
Dr. Peter Marks, FDA’s vaccine chief, offered data showing a “quite troubling surge’’ in young children’s hospitalizations during the omicron wave, and noted 442 children under 4 have died during the pandemic.
Fried is locked into a pitched primary battle with Democratic Congressman Charlie Crist. A former Florida Governor, Crist in recent weeks has locked in a slew of endorsements, including a vote of support by Orlando Democratic Rep. Anna Eskamani.
Most polls show Crist leading Fried by more than double digits, according to Real Clear Politics. Winner will face DeSantis, who is wildly popular among GOP voters and considered a future presidential contender.
Jason Delgado is a reporter for the USA Today Network-Florida. He’s based in Tallahassee. Reach him at JDelgado@gannett.com
