Congressional panel demands DeSantis briefing on COVID vaccines for kids by end of month
A congressional panel established to oversee the federal government’s coronavirus response sent a letter to Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, on Friday, demanding an explanation of his decision not to order or distribute COVID-19 vaccines to children under 5 years old.
The bipartisan House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis is asking for a staff briefing from the DeSantis administration by June 30, unless the Florida governor reverses course.
The DeSantis administration did so less than an hour after the letter was sent, at least partially, allowing Florida healthcare providers such as pediatricians and childrens’ hospitals to place orders through the federal system. State health facilities will still not be placing orders for vaccine doses, a Biden administration official said.
McClatchy first reported on Wednesday that Florida was the only state that had not ordered COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5, missing a deadline for preorders set by the federal government. Public health officials and the Biden administration warn that parents across the state will struggle to find vaccines for their kids as a result.
READ MORE: Doctors angry over DeSantis not ordering COVID vaccines for young kids
In the committee’s letter, first obtained by McClatchy, its chairman, Democratic Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina, described Desantis’ decision as “inexplicable.”
“Millions of parents have been waiting for the Food and Drug Administration to authorize a vaccine for children under five,” reads the letter. “Your decision to reject these vaccines could deny Florida parents the ability to make their own decisions on what is best for the health of their children — and could deny some Florida children the ability to live long and healthy lives.”
A source familiar with the committee’s work said the panel had not ruled out additional action if DeSantis chooses not to comply with the request or does not change the policy.
The request for a briefing, the letter reads, is consistent with the committee’s powers “to conduct a full and complete investigation” of “issues related to the coronavirus crisis,” including “preparedness for and response to the coronavirus crisis” and “the development of vaccines and treatments.”
The FDA authorized emergency use of the vaccine for children between six months and five years of age — the last age group that remains ineligible for vaccines — on Friday, describing its review process as long and vigorous.
“The agency determined that the known and potential benefits of the Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines outweigh the known and potential risks in the pediatric populations authorized for use for each vaccine,” the FDA said in a statement.
An independent panel advising the Centers for Disease Control is expected to recommend use of the vaccines over the weekend. The CDC director will likely sign off on those recommendations by Sunday. Shots could begin as early as Monday across the country.
DeSantis has defended his decision to exclude Florida, stating Thursday that his state surgeon general determined that the risks of the vaccines to children outweigh the benefits and claiming that COVID-19 poses no risk to children. That assessment is a break from those of 49 other state health departments and federal public health agencies.
“There’s not going to be any state programs that are going to be trying to, you know, get COVID jabs to infants and toddlers and newborns,” DeSantis told reporters. “That’s not something that we think is appropriate, and so that’s not where we’re going to be utilizing our resources in that regard.”
Clyburn said that DeSantis’ remarks made the policy even more perplexing.
“Your public justifications have heightened my concern,” he wrote. “Although the coronavirus poses less risk to young children than to older Americans, the risks are significantly above zero.”
This story was originally published June 17, 2022 at 11:54 AM with the headline "Congressional panel demands DeSantis briefing on COVID vaccines for kids by end of month."
