DeSantis defends controversial vaccine deal with developer — and threatens to pull vaccines if officials don’t like it

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Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis has threatened to move a pop-up vaccination clinic that his state has set up in an affluent community in Manatee County after he was confronted with allegations of political favoritism and preference for the wealthy at a news conference Wednesday.

Manatee County announced on Tuesday that Florida’s Division of Emergency Management would host a “pop-up” vaccination spot at Lakewood Ranch this week for 3,000 Manatee County residents, according to a statement from the county.
The vaccines, however, would be limited to people living in only two zip codes — 34202 and 34211.
Manatee County Commissioner Misty Servia, a Republican, criticized the selection of these two areas at a Board of County Commissioners work session on Tuesday.
“You’re taking the Whitest demographic, the richest demographic in Manatee County and putting them ahead of everyone else,” Servia said. “The optics are bad … very bad — I’m really disappointed,” she added.
Commissioner Reggie Bellamy, a Democrat, also noted that he’s been “fighting like hell to show people that the (vaccine) lottery is equal and we cannot compromise the system.”

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Article URL : https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/17/politics/ron-desantis-vaccines/index.html