Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said Wednesday the coronavirus vaccines are “saving lives” and “reducing mortality” amid a nationwide push to have Americans get vaccinated, saying if you are vaccinated your chances of becoming seriously ill are “effectively zero.”
DeSantis said during a visit to St. Petersburg:
If you are vaccinated, fully vaccinated, the chance of you getting seriously ill or dying from COVID is effectively zero. If you look at the people who are being admitted to hospitals, over 95 percent of them are either not fully vaccinated or not vaccinated at all. These vaccines are saving lives. They are reducing mortality.
Speaking on the effectiveness of the coronavirus vaccine, DeSantis pointed to mortality rates of the elderly and in nursing homes since the vaccine was introduced:
Mortality in nursing homes since we rolled out the vaccines in December is down over 95 percent due to COVID. The mortality for elderly people since we rolled out vaccines is down nearly 90 percent. So we’re proud in Florida we put seniors first on that because they are the most vulnerable. We have 85 percent of our seniors that are vaccinated…
DeSantis also stated that your chance of surviving “if you’re vaccinated is close to 100 percent,” while mentioning a “summer season” in the Sunshine State.
“We have a summer season here, just like last year,” DeSantis said. “It started a little later this year. So you’re going to have higher prevalence for the rest of July, probably into August. And then it goes back and goes the different waves. If you’re vaccinated, those waves are not going to impact you in any significant way, and I think that’s the important message for people.”
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