2/19/21 County Commissioner's "Jump the Line" Vaccination Drive had Her Name on It

A Florida county commissioner cheerfully admitted yesterday that she targeted a vaccine drive to wealthy White Floridians. 

Vanessa Baugh directed county officials to include residents only from two specific zip codes in Manatee County, south of Tampa.

Those zip codes have the highest median income in the county, the fewest cases of COVID19, and are overwhelmingly white. A county official said there was also a five-person VIP list. Baugh and a real estate developer were on it, and the list included three people who didn't live in the favored zip codes.

It had already taken place before a local newspaper reported on Baugh's planning.

When asked, DeSantis said that the zip codes were "where's a high concentration of seniors.” But Baugh said the targeting was her idea, and that she'd picked the zip codes. Baugh remarked that the setup was exactly what Governor Rick DeSantis wanted, and if she had the same opportunity again, she wouldn't change a thing.

At this point, one wonders if Manatee County elected an actual manatee to its board of county commissioners.

At first, DeSantis praised the event as one of the first drive-through vaccination programs ever. But in response to public criticism, DeSantis said, "If Manatee County doesn't like us doing this, then we are totally fine with putting this in counties that want it." 

All states are of course allowed to administer COVID vaccines as they see fit. And some states have passed the same rights and responsibilities down to counties. So technically, the vaccine drive in this Florida county is likely legal. But it sure doesn’t seem ethical, does it?

Based on this story out of Florida, are you comfortable that most states are following the CDC’s recommendations?

Do you think anyone’s civil rights are being violated when it comes to administration of the COVID vaccine? Might there be lawsuits or other actions by people who think they weren’t treated fairly?


https://www.cnn.com/2021/02/18/politics/manatee-county-vaccine/index.html?fbclid=IwAR19ZJ9djXgmciO4Ys94VBWZRmWLNLuTCguowGw73W4VB8udBn5h-EJlzaI