Florida Health Official Placed on Leave for Urging Vaccination

Dr. Raul Pino was temporarily suspended for chastising unvaccinated healthcare workers.

Dr. Raul Pino was temporarily suspended for chastising unvaccinated healthcare workers.

Earlier this month, Dr. Raul Pino, director of the Florida Department of Health in Orange County, sent a sternly-worded email to his coworkers. Specifically, the email expressed confusion and frustration toward those who refuse to be vaccinated against COVID-19.

Pino wrote he had “a hard time understanding how can we be in public health and not practice it,” referring to vaccination.

“The reasons can be many, but so many of us?”

“I am sorry, but at this point in the absence of reasonable and real reasons, it is irresponsible no (sic) to be vaccinated,” he wrote.

According to statistics Pino shared in his email, only about 38.55% of the employees in his department have received a complete set of two vaccine shots, with only 13.55% receiving a booster shot.

“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 (OC DOH) and we are not even at 50%, pathetic,” the email read.

After this email was released, Pino was placed on temporary leave, while the FDoH is conducting an investigation to determine if he violated the anti-vaccine mandate law enacted by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis back in November.