Florida grand jury questions safety and effectiveness of COVID-19 mitigations

Last week, a Florida grand jury released its first interim report on COVID-19 vaccines, one year after Florida’s governor ordered an investigation. In the report, the grand jury raised concerns about the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines and the effectiveness of other COVID-19 mitigation measures, such as mask mandates.

Risk level: High

Recommendation: Articles and social media posts about the grand jury’s report may discourage patients in Florida from getting the updated COVID-19 vaccine or from adopting other COVID-19 mitigation measures. Talking points may emphasize that COVID-19 vaccines have been rigorously tested and have been determined to be safe, as adverse effects are extremely rare. The benefits of vaccination outweigh any potential risks because staying up to date on COVID-19 vaccination prevents severe illness, hospitalization, death, and long COVID. The CDC recommends COVID-19 vaccines for everyone 6 months and older. The CDC also states that wearing a well-fitting mask reduces the spread of COVID-19.