Vaccine pin causes spat between Sarasota/Manatee GOP leaders that embroils Rep. Steube

The COVID-19 vaccines have proven incredibly effective at preventing hospitalization and death, but they're also proving to be a politically thorny issue in some circles, as illustrated by a recent spat between Republican leaders in Sarasota and Manatee counties that embroiled conservative Sarasota Congressman Greg Steube.

The vaccine dust-up began when Steube agreed to speak to the Republican Women’s Club of Sarasota, a 71-year-old group that has been meeting at the Michael’s on East restaurant for years.

In May, Michael’s on East announced a new policy surrounding vaccines and mask-wearing for employees.

Any employee who got the vaccine was given the option of wearing a red pin that says “V is for Vaccine!” and not having to wear a mask, according to a July Herald-Tribune article, although the restaurant's website now states that "Due to the new COVID-19 Delta Variant, all of our employees are required to wear masks."

Neither the vaccine or the pin are mandatory for Michael’s on East employees, but some Republicans didn’t like the pin idea and started complaining on social media about a Republican group hosting an event at Michael’s on East, and about Steube speaking there.

https://www.heraldtribune.com/story/news/politics/2021/09/03/florida-vaccine-politics-display-sarasota-gop-event/5712628001/