Florida grand jury investigating COVID-19 vaccines finds no evidence of criminal activity

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — A statewide grand jury convened at the request of Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis to investigate “any and all wrongdoing” concerning COVID-19 vaccines did not find any evidence of criminal activity, according to a report unsealed on Tuesday.

“(N)ot finding any indictable criminal activity does not mean we did not find any problems. On the contrary, there are profound and serious issues involving the process of vaccine development and safety surveillance in the United States,” the grand jury wrote in its final report.

In response to its findings, the grand jury made policy recommendations in its report, including increasing transparency around clinical trials and banning advertisements for pharmaceutical drugs.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention maintains that COVID-19 vaccines underwent intensive safety analyses and that the shots continue to be monitored after FDA approval to ensure they still meet federal safety and efficacy standards.

While the vaccines aren’t perfect, they do a good job of preventing severe disease, hospitalization and death, and have proven very safe, with only rare serious side effects, according to federal officials and public health experts.

DeSantis sought the investigation in 2022, ahead of his bid for the Republican Party’s presidential nomination and as he was bolstering his national profile through hard-line opposition to pandemic lockdowns and mask mandates.

At the time, DeSantis said the probe would “bring legal accountability to those who committed misconduct” and could help get more information from pharmaceutical companies about the vaccines and potential side effects.

A spokesperson for the governor did not immediately respond on Tuesday to a request for comment from The Associated Press.

Statewide grand juries, usually comprised of 18 people, can investigate criminal activity and issue indictments but also examine systemic problems in Florida and make recommendations. In recent years, other panels have tackled immigration issues and school safety.

___ Kate Payne is a corps member for The Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on undercovered issues.

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