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Florida Health Dept. Puts Top Official on Leave for Promoting COVID Vaccine to Staff 

HeadlineJan 20, 2022

Florida’s Health Department has placed Orange County’s top health official on administrative leave after he encouraged employees to get vaccinated against COVID-19. In an email to employees last week, Dr. Raul Pino lamented the fact that just 38% of Orange County Health Department workers had completed their vaccine series, writing, “I have a hard time understanding how we can be in public health and not practice it!” A state official told The Washington Post the administration of Republican Governor Ron DeSantis was investigating whether Pino’s email violated a new Florida law barring government agencies from implementing vaccine mandates.

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