Latest Attack on DeSantis: Florida Vaccinates Residents of Other States

The Javert-like pursuit of Ron DeSantis’s record on the Covid pandemic never lets up. In the latest installment, a pair of reports by Chris Persaud of the Palm Beach Post contend that Florida has overcounted the number of Floridians vaccinated by at least 622,000, due in large part to Florida vaccinations of vacationing “snowbirds” who are not permanent residents of the state. Persaud also points to Florida’s vaccination of the employees of cruise ships based in Florida.

This is not the damning revelation that DeSantis’s critics seem to think it is. First, nobody is cooking any books. These are actual vaccinations, and they were accurately reported as occurring in Florida. The only question is whether they should be classified with other states’ vaccination rates because of where the people who got the shots in Florida maintain their permanent legal residence.

About the Author

Dan McLaughlin

Dan McLaughlin is a senior writer at National Review Online and a fellow at National Review Institute.

Featured Tags

The Javert-like pursuit of Ron DeSantis’s record on the Covid pandemic never lets up. In the latest installment, a pair of reports by Chris Persaud of the Palm Beach Post contend that Florida has overcounted the number of Floridians vaccinated by at least 622,000, due in large part to Florida vaccinations of vacationing “snowbirds” who are not permanent residents of the state. Persaud also points to Florida’s vaccination of the employees of cruise ships based in Florida.

This is not the damning revelation that DeSantis’s critics seem to think it is. First, nobody is cooking any books. These are actual vaccinations, and they were accurately reported as occurring in Florida. The only question is whether they should be classified with other states’ vaccination rates because of where the people who got the shots in Florida maintain their permanent legal residence.