DeSantis Administration Places Health Director on Administrative Leave for Coercing Staff to Take the COVID-19 Jab

The Florida Department of Health placed Orange County Medical Director Dr. Raul Pino on administrative leave for sending an email to staff coercing them to receive the COVID-19 injection.

Pino wrote the email on January 4th and complained about the number of Orange County staff members who haven’t taken the COVID-19 jab or received a booster.

He later insults the personal medical choices of staff members by calling those who refuse the experimental shots “irresponsible.”

The medical director insinuates many staff members will get sick, spread the virus to colleagues and family members, and be unable to serve clients.

https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/1484147217103572993

WMFE had the scoop:

In it he wrote, “I have a hard time understanding how we can be in public health and not practice it.”

After sending the email he was placed on administrative leave.

In an email to WMFE, the Florida Department of Health has confirmed Pino was put on leave because, “the decision to get vaccinated is a personal choice that should be free from coercion and mandates from employers.”

Florida DOH says it’s even conducting an inquiry into whether any laws were broken by sending the email.

News-Press added:

“The Department is committed to upholding all laws, including the ban on vaccine mandates for government employees and will take appropriate action once additional information is known.”

Pino’s email to his staff detailed that only 219 of his 568 staff members had received two doses. “I am sorry but in the absence of reasonable and real reasons it is irresponsible not to be vaccinated. 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,” he wrote.

DeSantis and his state surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, have questioned the efficacy of masks and vaccines. The state’s Department of Health also has advised against testing for people who have no symptoms, stating, “COVID-19 testing is unlikely to have any clinical benefits.”

NBC News reporter Marc Caputo tweeted a screenshot of the email sent by Pino:

🧵on FL’s latest COVID controversy
1/5
More to the story of the Health Dept doc put on leave after encouraging employees via email to get vaccinated

Unreported: he may have accessed potentially confidential worker health info, according to the email shown here for the 1st time pic.twitter.com/jH0yed4bDF

— Marc Caputo (@MarcACaputo) January 19, 2022

Unsurprisingly, vaccine pushers expressed their outrage for the DeSantis administration taking action against the coercive measures.

The Director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County is being seriously penalized for encouraging staff to get vaccinated.

This is DeSantis’ Florida — where even public health officials aren't allowed to promote common sense medical advice. https://t.co/1fYvhBgOTC

— Charlie Crist (@CharlieCrist) January 19, 2022

https://twitter.com/DrDenaGrayson/status/1483797283170832390

The Orange DOH Director who helped lead Orlando thru COVID is off the job and under investigation by the #DeSantis administration for encouraging staff to get vaxxed.

HE’S THE DAMN COUNTY HEALTH DIRECTOR! IT’S HIS JOB!

This is not okay. https://t.co/ouqTIvhZQX

— Carlos Guillermo Smith (@CarlosGSmith) January 19, 2022

Governor DeSantis signed anti-mandate legislation in November banning vaccine mandates in the workplace. 

His administration reiterated the decision is a personal medical choice and should remain free from coercion or mandates from employers.