MIAMI (AP) — Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Tuesday he plans to ask the state Supreme Court to convene a grand jury to investigate “any wrongdoing” regarding the COVID-19[feminine] vaccines.
The Republican Governor, who is often mentioned as a potential presidential candidate in 2024, gave no details of the wrongdoings the panel would be investigating, but suggested it was partly aimed at getting more information from drug companies about the vaccines and potential side effects.
He made the announcement following a roundtable discussion with Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and a panel of scientists and doctors.
“We will be able to get the data whether they want to give it up or not,” DeSantis said. “In Florida, it’s illegal to mislead and make false claims, especially when talking about a drug’s effectiveness.”
Vaccine studies funded by pharmaceutical companies that have developed COVID-19 vaccines have been published in peer-reviewed journals such as the New England Journal of Medicine, and government panels have reviewed the safety and drug data. effectiveness of injections before approving their use.
The grand jury request, released later on Tuesday, argues that pharmaceutical companies had a financial interest in creating a climate in which people believed that getting a coronavirus vaccine would ensure they couldn’t spread the virus. viruses to others.
He asks a grand jury to investigate, among other things, whether misleading information has been disseminated about “vaccines that are supposed to prevent the infection, symptoms and transmission of COVID-19”.
Statewide grand juries, usually made up of 18 people, can investigate criminal activity and issue indictments, but also review systemic issues in Florida and make recommendations. Recent panels have addressed immigration issues and school safety.
DeSantis noted that Florida recently “got $3.2 billion through a lawsuit against those responsible for the opioid crisis. So it’s not like it’s something new. Much of that money came from lawsuits and settlements with drugmakers, retailers and distributors.
DeSantis said he expects to get Supreme Court approval for the statewide grand jury to be convened, likely in the Tampa Bay area.
“It will come with legal processes that will get more information and bring legal accountability to those who are wrong,” DeSantis said.
DeSantis also announced that he was creating an entity called the “Public Health Integrity Committee,” which will include many of the doctors and scientists who participated in Tuesday’s roundtable. The group includes prominent opponents of lockdowns, federal vaccination mandates and childhood vaccinations.
He said that during the pandemic, some people had lost faith in public health institutions, including the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The governor has frequently spoken out against CDC guidelines, including mask and vaccine mandates, and filed lawsuits to stop many of them from taking effect in Florida.
Additionally, the governor announced that Ladapo will conduct research through the University of Florida to “evaluate sudden deaths of healthy individuals who have received a COVID-19 vaccine.” Additionally, he said the Florida Department of Health will use disease surveillance and vital statistics to assess these deaths.
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Associated Press writer Curt Anderson contributed from St. Petersburg, Florida.
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