DeSantis Slams Biden for ‘Dramatically’ Seizing Florida’s COVID-19 Treatment

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis hammered the Biden administration for overhauling the distribution of monoclonal antibody treatments that have been critical in reducing hospitalizations and deaths resulting from COVID-19.

DeSantis said Thursday that just at the 25 states sites, “they’ve done well over 90,000 treatments with monoclonal antibodies.” However, he stressed that “Florida’s supply of antibody treatments is under threat from the federal government.”

The US Department of Health and Human Services announced that they will now take control of the distribution of monoclonal antibody treatments for COVID-19 and ration how much of the treatment supply goes to each state.

HHS officials said the weekly distribution will be “based on weekly reports of new COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations in addition to data on inventories and use” submitted by states to the federal government. Adding that this change will provide “health departments maximum flexibility to get these critical drugs where they are needed most.”

Florida’s allocation of treatments represented the largest share of any state. As a result, the HHS announced a 50 percent reduction of the monoclonal antibodies that had been used in Florida.

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki holds the daily press briefing at the White House in Washington, U.S. July 16, 2021.

© REUTERS / JONATHAN ERNST

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said Thursday that the federal government’s distribution plan for monoclonal antibodies is aimed at achieving “equity” among states receiving them.

“Just seven states are making up 70 percent of the orders. Our supply is not unlimited and we believe it should be equitable across states,” Psaki said during a press briefing.

“I think our role as the government overseeing the entire country is to be equitable in how we distribute. We’re not going to give a greater percentage to Florida over Oklahoma,” she added.

DeSantis warned that HHS' new equitable distribution plan for monoclonal antibodies is "very, very problematic" and warned patients "are going to suffer as a result of this."

He said he would seek to find other sources of monoclonal antibody treatments.

"We're fighting. We're going to make sure we leave no stone unturned," he said. "Whoever needs a treatment we are going to work like hell to get them the treatments.”