DeSantis calls for Florida grand jury to investigate coronavirus vaccine 'wrongdoing'
DeSantis says it is 'against the law to mislead and to misrepresent' in Florida
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Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday that he is petitioning the state's Supreme Court to "impanel a statewide grand jury to investigate any and all wrongdoing in Florida with respect to COVID-19 vaccines."
DeSantis made the announcement while chairing a roundtable focusing on the reported side effects of coronavirus vaccines, with some participants alleging negative health experiences after getting the shots made by companies such as Pfizer and Johnson & Johnson.
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PFE | PFIZER INC. | 25.82 | -0.39 | -1.49% |
| JNJ | JOHNSON & JOHNSON | 154.80 | -0.21 | -0.14% |
| MRNA | MODERNA INC. | 44.26 | +1.20 | +2.79% |
"In Florida, it is against the law to mislead and to misrepresent, particularly when you're talking about the efficacy of a drug," DeSantis said.
"Today, I'm announcing a petition with the Supreme Court of Florida to impanel a statewide grand jury to investigate any and all wrongdoing in Florida with respect to COVID-19 vaccines," he continued. "And we anticipate that we will get the approval for that.
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Gov. Ron DeSantis, with his wife Casey, speaks during an election night watch party at the Convention Center in Tampa, Florida, on Nov. 8, 2022. (Giorgio Viera/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"That will be something that will be impaneled most likely in the Tampa Bay area and that will come with legal processes that will be able to get more information and bring legal accountability for those who committed misconduct," DeSantis added.
During the coronavirus pandemic, DeSantis has distanced Florida from the mask mandates, lockdowns and other prevention measures that have affected the lives of millions of Americans in other states.
Employees of Nomi Health check in a long line of people for COVID-19 tests on Dec. 21, 2021, in North Miami, Florida. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier / AP Newsroom)
In October, the Republican said he opposed mandatory COVID-19 vaccine shots for children.
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"As long as I’m kicking and screaming, there will be no COVID shot mandates for your kids," DeSantis said at the time. "That is your decision to make as a parent."
Pfizer told FOX Business, "Regulatory agencies across the world have authorized the use of our COVID-19 vaccine."
"These authorizations are based on robust and independent evaluation of the scientific data on quality, safety and efficacy, including our landmark phase 3 clinical trial," Pfizer said. "Data from real world studies complement the clinical trial data and provide additional evidence that the vaccine provides effective protection against severe disease."
"Over the course of this deadly pandemic, mRNA vaccines have saved hundreds of thousands of lives, tens of billions of dollars in health care costs, and enabled people worldwide to go about their lives more freely," the drugmaker continued. "As of Nov. 27, 2022, we have delivered 4.3 billion vaccines to 181 countries and territories in every region of the world."
Vials with Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID vaccine labels are seen in this illustration picture. (Reuters/Dado Ruvic/Illustration / Reuters Photos)
FOX Business has also reached out to Moderna and Johnson & Johnson for reaction to DeSantis’ announcement.
Fox News’ Louis Casiano contributed to this report.