Editorial: Fla. surgeon general's latest dismissal of COVID-19 vaccinations is dangerous

Once again the state's surgeon general disappoints.

On Wednesday, Dr. Joseph Ladapo called for a halt in the use of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19, contradicting federal authorities and once again making Florida an outlier.

Ladapo said in a statement released by the Florida Department of Health that his decision came after he raised questions about the safety of the vaccines with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and officials there did not provide an adequate response.

Using debunked claims as the basis for his argument, Ladapo's letter to the FDA raised concerns about “the risks of contaminant DNA integration into human DNA” through the messenger RNA vaccine and “the integrity of the human genome.”

The FDA’s response to Ladapo, dated last month, rebutted each of his concerns and warns that vaccine “misinformation and disinformation” will result in fewer people getting vaccinated, which contributes to the “continued death and serious illness toll of COVID-19.”

Messenger RNA, or mRNA, is a molecule that delivers genetic information from DNA to proteins. The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says mRNA vaccines do not alter an individual’s DNA.

Dr. Ladapo's action is the latest in his long opposition to the COVID-19 vaccine — which was one of the reasons he was chosen by Gov. Ron DeSantis to lead the health department.

More: Editorial: DeSantis, Ladapo are failing Florida's residents when it comes to public health

The timing of his announcement is noteworthy. With Mr. DeSantis trailing far behind former President Donald Trump in the race for the Republican presidential nomination, we wonder if Dr. Ladapo took this action to help reinforce the myth of a “Free Florida” to bolster his boss' chances.

It is mind-boggling that after more than 1 million Americans died from COVID-19, we still have leaders questioning the vaccines that helped end the staggering waves of carnage wrought by the virus.

The latest numbers from the state show Florida logged 92,798 deaths from COVID-19 from 2020 through December, with 8,311 deaths in 2023. In Palm Beach County, the total since 2020 was 6,483, with 599 of those recorded last year.

So, yes, people are still dying from the virus.

Pandering to the anti-vaccine crowd is a cold move by someone who should know better, but it is in keeping with the Dr. Ladapo's record.

In 2022, he made Florida the first state in the nation to recommend against healthy children receiving the COVID-19 vaccines. Then last year he recommended against anyone under the age of 65 getting new COVID vaccine boosters.

Here in Palm Beach, officials have consistently recommended that residents follow CDC-issued guidelines for protecting themselves and others against the transmission of COVID-19, especially for “vulnerable” populations such as the elderly or those with compromised health.

In June 2022, for instance, the Town Council responded to a spike in infection rates in Palm Beach County by returning to a mandate that masks be worn during meetings at Town Hall. Town Council President Maggie Zeidman, Mayor Danielle Moore and Town Manager Kirk Blouin agreed to implement the mask mandate, which was later lifted, at meetings.

“We should all keep in mind that this is not 2020,” Mrs. Zeidman said at the time. “We have vaccines and effective treatments, and we know much more than we did about how this virus is transmitted.”

Mrs. Zeidman, a former director of nursing at Lenox Hill Hospital in New York, who was part of the leadership team tasked with helping the town navigate the coronavirus pandemic, told the Daily News last week she thought Dr. Ladapo is "a one-off."

She is very concerned about JN-1, the latest version of the COVID-19 virus: "JN-1 is either very contagious or it's very immune-evasive," she said, adding that it sometimes takes some time to see how an individual reacts when exposed.

She encourages people to test themselves for COVID-19 if they experience respiratory or gastro-intestinal symptoms, and follow the CDC guidelines for retesting if needed.

And she still recommends that people get vaccinated, regardless of Dr. Ladapo's recent declaration. "The CDC recommends that you get vaccinated, and I think that's what you should do," Mrs. Zeidman said.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Daily News: Fla. surgeon general's dismissal of COVID-19 vaccinations dangerous