OPINION | This article contains the author's opinion.
The Daily Wire reported that Florida’s Gov. DeSantis is implementing a plan that will continue the distribution of monoclonal antibodies to southern states after being “very, very concerned” with Joe Biden’s new policy to reduce their access to the medication that has proven effective against COVID-19.
“Just last week on September 9th, President Joe Biden said that his administration would be increasing shipments of monoclonal antibodies in September by 50%, and yet on September 13th, HHS announced that it was seizing control of the monoclonal antibody supply and that it would control distribution, and then on September 14th, the announcement was more than 50% of the monoclonal antibodies that had been used in Florida were going to be reduced,” DeSantis explained in a press conference this week.
“So this is a dramatic reduction, and I’d say it’s doubly problematic because what Shane Strum and folks in Tampa General and these other hospital systems that have been doing this, they’re not getting it from the state.” he continued.
Gov. DeSantis further described; “What the HHS and the Biden administration is now doing is they’re saying that all of the reduced amount will go to the state, and we’re responsible not only for sourcing our sites, which we’re happy to do, but any infusion center, any provider, any hospital will have to come through the state, and to just spring this on us starting next week, we’re going to have to do that,”
“There’s going to be a huge disruption and patients are going to suffer as a result of this.” warned DeSantis.
DeSantis insisted that he was not going to sit idle and accept “obstacles that HHS and the Biden administration”, especially those that cause citizens of Florida to needlessly suffer. DeSantis promised to “work like hell” to protect access to the valuable medication.
“To just kind of pull the rug out from anyone a week after the president himself said they were going to be increasing the distributions by 50%, it’s very, very problematic.” DeSantis told those present.
“What I am doing though, is we’re going to try to cover the bases.” he promised.
DeSantis said that he spoke with people at GlaxoSmithKline, the manufacturer of the monoclonal antibodies, and believes he can bypass the federal government and purchase the medication directly from the source.
From @GovRonDeSantis’ schedule. GSK has its own monoclonal treatment. Working to confirm content of today’s call. Source in the admin thinks it’s “safe to assume” gov wants to buy supply directly from the company. pic.twitter.com/C2gmfDF3AB
— Forrest Saunders (@FBSaunders) September 16, 2021
Donald Trump Jr. suggested that the new restrictions on the monoclonal antibody treatment, of which 70% were being used in southern states, was a punishment for those states in the South.
“Americans will die because of Biden’s despicable decision to punish his political enemies in red states by restricting their ability to secure life-saving monoclonal antibody treatments for all that need them,” wrote the son of former President Donald Trump.
“Their blood is directly on Joe’s hands.” he added.
Sen. Marco Rubio also contributed to the criticism of Biden’s new policy on Twitter. The Florida Senator wrote; “Antibody treatments aren’t a substitute for vaccines But they have prevented thousands of hospitalizations including in breakthrough cases,”
“Now in a move that reeks of partisan payback against states like Florida, the Biden administration is rationing these treatments.” concluded Rubio.