Sunburn — The Morning Read Of What’s Hot In Florida Politics — 9.23.21

By Peter Schorsch    

Good Thursday morning.

#RaysUp

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Breaking overnight — “FDA approves Pfizer boosters for high-risk individuals, people 65 and up” via Axios — The approval comes just days after an FDA advisory panel recommended boosters for the two groups but overwhelmingly voted against the third shots for younger Americans. The approval also applies to people ages 18 to 64 “whose frequent institutional or occupational exposure” puts them at high risk for serious complications from the virus. The White House had hoped to begin administering boosters to many Pfizer recipients, including young Americans, this week. Several experts on the FDA advisory committee said last week that they hadn’t seen enough data to justify boosters for the general population. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention will likely issue guidance on boosters after a key advisory panel votes Thursday on third doses.

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We wanted to hold this story back for our FP Plus partners and subscribers, but we can’t help but spill it.

The Senate’s health care policy lead plans to put vaccine mandates in the crosshairs in the 2022 Legislative Session.

No, not that vaccine. All of them.

Hialeah Republican Sen. Manny Diaz, who chairs the Senate Health Policy Committee, told Christine Sexton of Florida Politics he plans to “review” existing vaccine requirements that have long been in place in Florida schools — the ones that require students to get shots for measles, mumps and more.

Said review comes as GOP electeds are facing heat for their anti-mandate rhetoric on the COVID-19 vaccine and none of the others.

Under current law, only parents who cite religious or health reasons can exempt their children from vaccination requirements. Otherwise, parents need to show proof of vaccination — or a vaccine passport, if you will — showing they’ve received a long list of vaccinations.

Diaz, who hasn’t been vaccinated for COVID-19, did offer a moderate defense of the more ubiquitous and “proven” vaccines required of schoolchildren, such as the Truman-era combo shot for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis.

“I think there’s a distinction when you have something that is proven to work and doesn’t have any side effects,” he said.

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Welcome to the world — Joshua Karp, a Democratic communications strategist and founding partner at Hone Strategies, and Dorian Karp, director of policy and advocacy at Jewish Women International, on Tuesday morning welcomed Rory Shoshana Karp, who came in at 7 lbs., 2 oz., and joins her big sister Ellie.

— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —

Tweet, tweet:

—@JonahDispatch: It’s like the apologists who were determined to parrot the line that COVID was “just the flu” or “not as bad as the flu” couldn’t let go of the fact they were embarrassingly wrong, so they still want to claim 675K dead are no big deal.

—@mkraju: Stephanie Murphy, moderate House Dem, tells @AnnieGrayerCNN of Pelosi: “I would be deeply disappointed if she didn’t put the infrastructure bill on the floor as the resolution requires her to.”

—@AshleyMoodyFL: “Defund” is the new radical buzzword in D.C. Dems are gung-ho on wasteful spending, but when it comes to funding for peace and safety there always seems to be an issue. To defund the Iron Dome would endanger the lives of the people of Israel, one of our most important allies.

—@LMower3: That’s one of the main themes of the @GovRonDeSantis administration during the pandemic: Major policy changes, made cryptically and quietly with no clarifications or opportunities for questions to be answered.

—@NateMonroeTU: it’s like we’re doing reverse contact tracing now, after, of course, never having really tried contact tracing in the first place

—@BenDiamondFL: Many school districts have followed the advice of public health professionals and taken appropriate steps to protect the health and safety of our children and teachers. This new rule from the (Ron) DeSantis administration will interfere with those efforts. It’s misguided and dangerous.

—@FowlerThanEver: I’d encourage everyone who wants to talk trash about redistricting to draw a map and see how “easy” it is.

Tweet, tweet: