Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' Recommendation On The COVID-19 Vaccine Is Turning Heads

It wasn't too long ago — just over a week, in fact — that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis commissioned a range of merchandise that took aim at infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci. The products — which included drink koozies and T-shirts reading, "Don't Fauci My Florida"– came as the state experienced increasing rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths (via Yahoo). 

But with Florida now accounting for 20% of all new COVID infections in the U.S. (via CBS-Miami), DeSantis appears to have decided to take a stand regarding the vaccine — and its one an anti-vaxx base may not want to hear. "If you're vaccinated, fully vaccinated, the chance of you getting seriously ill or dying from COVID is effectively zero," he said Wednesday (via The Hill). "If you look at people that are admitted to hospitals, over 95% of them, are either not fully vaccinated or not vaccinated at all. And so these vaccines are saving lives. They're reducing mortality." 

DeSantis' about face took Twitter by surprise, and many are now asking why the GOP's more senior voices, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, are aggressively pushing for vaccinations to take place. Incredulous voices on social media include opinion columnist and author Tim O'Brien, who wrote, "DeSantis — who signed a bill outlawing vaccine passports, blames 'experts' for public distrust of vaccines, sells 'Don't Fauci My Florida' merch, and was hesitant to disclose his own vaccination — wants you to know 'vaccines are saving lives.'"

"Someone must have pictures of all the GOPers or something. Hannity, McConnell, DeSantis all pushing the vaccine this week after months of nothing. Very odd," mused one Twitter user. 

Another wrote, "I don't know why so many in the conservative media lately have been pushing so hard for vaccines — even harder than for medical freedom. Hannity, Shapiro, McConnell, even DeSantis, etc. Seems a bit sus."

This Twitter user had a theory, writing, "When even Ron Desantis is now pushing vaccines, rather that fighting against every business and entity that has been encouraging them, you know they are afraid the Delta surge among the unvaccinated is going to crush them in 2022."