The Most Dangerous Health Agency & Florida GOP Fight – Top 3 Takeaways

The Most Dangerous Health Agency & The Florida GOP Primary Fight– Top 3 Takeaways – September 18th, 2023 

1. Who’s more dangerous? Hold on tight...you know she’s a little bit dangerous. That came to mind because 1) Roxette was awesome and 2) Because Dr. Mandy Cohen, the current Director of the CDC has called Florida’s COVID-booster recommendations dangerous (No, it’s no longer Rochelle Walensky at CDC – she was more than “a little bit dangerous” during her time as director). Specifically, Director Cohen said this in response to Florida’s recommendation against obtaining a COVID-19 vaccine for those under 65: As we head into the fall and winter seasons, it is important that Americans get the updated COVID-19 vaccine. They are proven safe; they are effective, and they have been thoroughly and independently reviewed by the FDA and CDC...Public health experts are in broad agreement about these facts, and efforts to undercut vaccine uptake are unfounded and dangerous. Ok, so that brings about the question. Who’s more dangerous- Dr. Mandy Cohen or Dr. Jospeh Ladapo (Florida’s Surgeon General)? Or perhaps best put, which health agency is more dangerous...The Centers for Disease Control or The Florida Department of Health? Dr. Cohen says efforts to undercut vaccine uptake are unfounded, in addition to being dangerous, but are they? Let’s go to the facts presented by the Florida Department of Health in their recommendation. While the initial mRNA COVID-19 vaccines were authorized by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) utilizing human clinical trial data, the most recent booster approval was granted in the absence of any meaningful booster-specific clinical trial data performed in humans. In both cases the federal government has failed to provide sufficient data to support the safety and efficacy of the COVID-19 vaccines. Health care providers are expected to include the information in this guidance in discussions with patients regarding the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines. So, what’s more dangerous...to take a vaccine that’s not undergone human trials with supporting clinical data or not? But there’s more because as also outlined by the FDOH... Throughout the pandemic, studies across geographic regions have found that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are associated with negative effectiveness after 4 to 6 months. As efficacy waned, studies showed that COVID-19 vaccinated individuals developed an increased risk for infection. This is not found in other vaccines, including the flu vaccine.  
2. So, what’s more dangerous, to take a vaccine which theoretically aids in short term protection against COVID, but that potentially opens one up to higher risk of all infections in a matter of months or not? And how about this factoid presented by Florida’s Health Department: The mRNA COVID-19 vaccines present a risk of subclinical and clinical myocarditis and other cardiovascular conditions among otherwise healthy individuals. So, what’s more dangerous for a generally healthy person who is at low risk of any significant COVID symptoms to do? Accept a vaccine that may or may not provide meaningful protection against the low-risk virus, but that’s been linked to adverse side effects including cardiovascular conditions, in some who’ve previously taken it? Then there’s this? There is unknown risk of potential adverse impacts with each additional dose of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine; currently individuals may have received five to seven doses (and counting) of this vaccine over a 3-year period. So...damn the torpedoes and just see what happens because, you know science and stuff? And there’s also this one other note from Florida’s Department of Health in their official guidance... Elevated levels of spike protein from the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine persist among some individuals for an indefinite period of time, which may carry health risks. Now the CDC can call Florida’s guidance dangerous but what they can’t and haven’t tried to do, because they can’t, is to refute any of those claims because they’re facts. As always there are two sides to stories and one side to facts and on that note... Look out for that Doctor Mandy Cohen, you know she’s a little bit dangerous (or at least the COVID-19 vaccines she’s hawking). Officially in Florida the guidance is that if you’re under 65 – the vaccine is a little bit more dangerous than the virus. 
3. The fight for Florida. It’s altogether possible that the Republican Presidential Primary is all but officially over by the time Floridians vote. A total of 23 states, including the two largest, California and Texas will vote in caucuses and primaries prior to the March 19th vote which will take place in our state. That said the preseason battle for Florida GOP supremacy has been on between the two Floridian Republican frontrunners from the get-go this spring. Trump quickly secured the support of most of Florida’s congressional delegation and most of the state’s Republican legislators as well. And now the former and perhaps future president has secured another win over DeSantis as well. On Friday, the Florida Republican Party ditched its original plan to require candidates who’d appear on primary ballots to sign a loyalty pledge to support the GOP nominee regardless of who it is. It’s a clear nod to Trump from the top Republican brass in the state and it’s another indication of which way the winds continue to blow in this process. Polling throughout the summer has shown Trump to have anywhere from a twenty to 36-point lead over DeSantis in this state – which is saying something considering the governor won a general election by nearly 20-points just last November. Another round in the fight for Florida has been won by Trump over DeSantis, which is adding to the narrative that this primary contest isn’t one that Ron can win. That still remains to be seen. But whether it’s the polls, pledged support among elected officials or now a loyalty pledge, round after round of what was supposed to be a heavy weight fight for the GOP nomination, continues to be one sided. DeSantis has started throwing bigger punches at Trump, such as his statement to CBS last week that an 80-year-old shouldn’t be president, but he’s yet to land any of them in a meaningful way. The fight for Florida has been a one-sided affair thus far. And it's likely safe to say that if DeSantis can’t win Florida, he can’t win the nomination.