Ladapo made the announcement during a roundtable event hosted by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis hosted a roundtable event that featured doctors who criticised mandate policies and lockdowns for coronavirus. It wasn’t immediately clear when the state would publish its health guidance.
Ladapo stated at the conclusion of the roundtable discussion that “The Florida Department of Health will be the first to recommend against the COVID-19 vaccinations for healthy children.”
He said, “We are kind of scraping the bottom of the barrel,” especially with healthy children, when it comes to actually being able quantify with any accuracy or any confidence the potential benefit.”
This was Florida’s latest departure from White House coronavirus policies. U.S. officials approved and encouraged the use of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children as young as 5.
Based on a study that showed the child-sized doses were 91% effective in preventing symptoms of COVID-19, the Food and Drug Administration approved the shots. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention stated that the vaccines provide strong protection for children aged 5 and over against hospitalization and death.
“I am really concerned that this will make parents question everything they are hearing from any other source – pediatricians and the American Academy of Pediatrics or the CDC,” said Dr. Sonja Rasmussen of the University of Florida. She is a pediatrician and a former infectious diseases specialist at the CDC.
Children are more likely to be seriously ill with COVID-19 than adults, but those who have underlying conditions such as obesity, diabetes, or asthma are at greater risk of severe complications and hospitalization. Rasmussen pointed out that more than 1,000 children in the United States have died from COVID-19, and that not all of them had an underlying disease.
Jen Psaki, White House press secretary, said that it was deeply disturbing that politicians are spreading conspiracy theories and casting doubts on vaccinations. She also spoke out about Florida’s future guidance.
DeSantis is up for reelection, and is considered a potential candidate for the 2024 presidency. His resistance to vaccine mandates as well as other guidance on public health pushed by federal agencies has helped him rise to prominence within the GOP.
Ladapo, DeSantis and others announced policy changes late last month that discouraged the wearing of masks and directed doctors to use their judgment when treating patients with virus. This includes emerging treatments and off-label medication. DeSantis asked students to take off their masks at a press conference last week. He said it was “COVID theater.”
Despite criticisms that Ladapo’s virus health policy was too closely aligned to DeSantis’ politics, the Florida state Senate approved Ladapo’s appointment as surgeon general.
Ladapo was appointed surgeon general after being criticised for downplaying vaccines as well as his association with America’s Frontline Doctors which promoted fake “cures”. “
Ladapo stated that he would advocate for “public health” to address the pandemic and other issues and that he would “completely reject fear in order to make policies.”
