Florida surgeon general calls to stop using mRNA Covid vaccines, citing debunked claim
The IndependentSign up for the daily Inside Washington email for exclusive US coverage and analysis sent to your inbox Get our free Inside Washington email Get our free Inside Washington email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Florida’s surgeon general Joseph A Ladapo has called for the “halt” to the use of mRNA Covid-19 vaccine to treat the virus, citing repeatedly debunked claims about the risk of DNA contamination. “It is my hope that, in regard to Covid-19, the FDA will one day seriously consider its regulatory responsibility to protect human health, including the integrity of the human genome.” Ashish Jha, who served as the White House Covid-19 response coordinator until last year, dismissed the state surgeon general’s warning. On the same day as Dr Ladapo’s call to halt the use of mRNA shots, the FDA emphasised the vaccine’s “safety, effectiveness and manufacturing quality.” This isn’t the first time Dr Ladapo has been publicly sceptical about the efficacy or safety of the vaccine since he was appointed by Florida Gov Ron DeSantis to serve as the state’s top health official in September 2021 – or even before. The State of Florida prioritizes data and commonsense, not Pharma profits or political ideology!” After the state surgeon general’s latest announcement, a DeSantis campaign official wrote on X: “Grateful to live in a state where Big Pharma does not dictate health policy recommendations” and thanked Dr Ladapo “for standing up for scientific integrity.