F.D. Flam, Columnist

Ron DeSantis Vaccine Complaint Exploits Public Health Gaffes

Doctors and government officials have been so focused on getting shots in arms that they’ve left an opening for self-serving politicians.

December 17, 2022 at 1:00 PM UTC

By F.D. Flam

F.D. Flam is a Bloomberg Opinion columnist covering science. She is host of the “Follow the Science” podcast.

Vaccine scapegoater.
Photographer: Wade Vandervort/AFP/Getty Images

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Earlier this week, medical website STATnews reported on data that showed Covid vaccines have saved 3 million lives in the US. That’s about three times as many Americans as have died from the virus. Even if you quibble with the exact figure, these vaccines have been a momentous achievement.

But the same day, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis petitioned the state Supreme Court to start a grand jury investigation into the safety and efficacy claims behind mRNA vaccines — the dominant kind used in this country.