Florida Health Official Put on Leave After Urging Staff to Get COVID Vaccine and Criticizing Their ‘Pathetic’ Vaccination Rate

By Jess Smith First Posted: Jan 20, 2022 07:20 AM EST

A top public health official in Florida was suspended for urging staffers to get COVID-19 shots while criticizing their "pathetic" vaccination rate.

According to officials, Dr. Raul Pino, director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, was put on paid administrative leave amid an investigation of whether he violated a state ban when he emailed the employees about their low COVID vaccination rate and urged them to get shots.

The Florida Department of Health is also reportedly looking if "any laws were broken" with the unsanctioned message.

Florida Health Official Calls Out Low Vaccination Rate Among Public Health Practitioners

Agency officials said Raul Pino, 58, sent the email to staffers on January 4, blasting their lackluster efforts to get protected against COVID.

"I am sorry. But at this point in the absence of reasonable and real reasons, it is irresponsible [not] to be vaccinated," Pino wrote. "We have been at this for two years, we were the first to give vaccines to the masses, we have done more than 300,000, and we are not even at 50%, pathetic."

Pino noted that only 77 of the 568 active Orange County department employees had been fully vaccinated, including booster shots. Pino said this equates to a vaccination rate of 13.55 percent, which is "super low."

Pino added that another 219 employees had two doses, while 34 had only received one dose. With the low vaccination rates, Pino said employees should expect many in the agency to get sick and potentially infect their clients or families.

"I have a hard time understanding how we can be in public health and not practice it!" Pino noted.

On Tuesday, sources told the Orlando Sentinel that another staff complained about receiving the email, prompting an investigation into Pino, who refuses to comment on the matter.

Since the pandemic began, Pino had been appearing at over 150 press briefings in Central Florida. He last appeared on December 28, when he advised the public to get vaccinated against the COVID, Sentinel reported.

Latest Johns Hopkins University data showed that more than 13.7 million Floridians are fully vaccinated, accounting for nearly 66 percent of the state's population.

Florida Department of Health Says Getting Vaccinated is a Choice

In a statement, the Florida Department of Health said getting vaccinated is a personal medical choice that should be made free from coercion and mandates from employers.

"The employee in question has been placed on administrative leave," the department said, adding that it is committed to upholding all laws and will take appropriate action once "additional information is known."

Last November, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a Republican, signed a law banning schools, businesses, and government entities from requiring COVID vaccination. It drew criticisms from Democratic leaders and health experts.

Florida is one of several conservative states that sued the Occupational Safety and Health Administration to stop it from enforcing a now-defunct vaccine mandate for large businesses placed by President Joe Biden.

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

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