7 September 11-17, 2025 miaminewtimes.com | browardpalmbeach.com NEW TIMES | CONTENTS | LETTERS | NEWS | NIGHT+DAY | CULTURE | CAFE | MUSIC | to school unvaccinated this past spring after a measles case in a Miami-Dade County high school. He altered a DOH COVID-19 vaccine study to exaggerate the risks of cardiac death for young men His positions on vaccinations aren’t the only reason he’s become a public health light- ning rod. Last month the DOH announced 21 cases of Campylobacter and E. coli infections tied to raw milk consumption in the central and northeast portions of the state, and said that seven people had been hospitalized. Six of the cases were reported in children under age 10. Nevertheless, Ladapo didn’t warn against consuming raw milk. Two days later, Florida Agriculture Com- missioner Wilton Simpson issued a state- ment encouraging residents to stick to pasteurized milk. And in 2021, Ladapo made national head- lines when he refused to don a mask during a meeting with state Sen. Tina Polsky, who was being treated for cancer and requested that he wear one. At the time, Ladapo was up for Senate confirmation. Polsky, a Democrat from Boca Raton, lam- basted Ladapo’s announcement. “Vaccines are crucial for our children be- cause they protect them from deadly diseases and keep entire communities safe through herd immunity,” she said in a written state- ment. Diseases, including polio, that once de- stroyed our children’s health and futures, will have the chance to return under this danger- ous policy change. I voted against Dr. Lada- po’s confirmation in 2023 because he has a habit of misrepresenting science and making decisions that affect the health of Floridians. He remains determined to prioritize political dogma over smart health decisions.” The Florida Make America Healthy Again Commission Ladapo’s announcement dovetails with De- Santis’ news that he has created a Florida Make America Healthy Again Commission that will recommend the integration of U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Make America Healthy Again effort. The Florida Commission will be co-chaired by First Lady Casey DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins. Meanwhile, at the end of August, the Food and Drug Administration approved updated vaccines for COVID-19. While previous ver- sions of the vaccine were recommended to individuals 6 months of age and older, access to the FDA’s newly approved vaccines is lim- ited to individuals 65 and older and individu- als between the ages of 5 and 64 with an underlying condition placing them at high risk for severe COVID-19. Florida Phoenix reporter Jay Waagmeester contributed to this report. This story was up- dated after publication to include reaction from lawmakers, the Florida Education Asso- ciation, and the Public Citizen’s Health Re- search Group. [email protected] Dire Takes Florida officials blast move to nix vaccine mandates. BY NAOMI FEINSTEIN A fter Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced on Wednesday that the state will work to eliminate all vaccine mandates, public officials on both sides of the political aisle and even Ladapo’s own employer have condemned the move. “Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” Ladapo, a longtime vaccine skeptic, said to a burst of applause. “Who am I as a man standing here now to tell you what you should put in your body? Who am I to tell you what your child should put in [their] body? I don’t have that right. Your body is a gift from God.” Given that routine childhood vaccines have saved 154 million lives over the last 50 years, all 50 states require children to receive specific im- munizations before attending public school, although some states, in- cluding Florida, allow for medical and religious exemptions. In 2025, just under 89 percent of students entering kindergarten in the Sunshine State were vaccinated. Following Wednesday’s announcement, Miami congresswoman Fred- erica Wilson called for Ladapo’s removal as Florida surgeon general. “Are we losing our minds?” Wilson wrote on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. “This is getting ridiculous and pathetic. Are we trying to kill millions of innocent children? Childhood vaccines save lives. Abol- ishing them is INSANITY. Governor DeSantis must either remove Joseph Ladapo as Surgeon General or have him resign.” U.S. Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, who represents parts of Bro- ward County, called the decision “reckless.” “We require vaccines because they keep all kids, schools, and com- munities safe,” she said on X. “Florida has seen spikes in infectious dis- eases like measles, diseases we had virtually eliminated before Ladapo took office. This decision is reckless and makes Floridians less safe.” Since becoming the state’s chief public health official, Ladapo has es- poused anti-vaccine views. He called on U.S. health officials to stop dis- tributing the COVID-19 vaccine, claiming mRNA COVID-19 shots “are not appropriate for use in human beings.” During a measles outbreak at an elementary school in Weston, Ladapo broke with federal health guide- lines and allowed parents of unvaccinated children to decide whether their children would stay at home. Florida State Sen. Tina Polsky, who represents parts of Broward and Palm Beach Counties, called out Ladapo for seemingly flip-flopping on childhood vaccines. She pointed to a clip from his 2023 confirmation hearing where he admitted that the vaccine mandates were appropriate. “Hey my Senate colleagues- you’ve been quiet today,” she wrote. “Any thoughts (or prayers) about this horror show? Remember when you ALL voted to confirm him after you knew he lied on scientific studies (amongst all the other quackery). Why don’t we stand together and not let this happen to our kids? She tagged the Florida Senate Majority Office, Florida Senate Demo- crats, and Florida Senate in her post. Even GOP Sen. Rick Scott apparently pushed back, saying he doesn’t want to end immunization requirements. “Florida already has a good system that allows families to opt out based on religious and personal beliefs, which balances our children’s health and parents’ rights,” Scott said, according to Politico reporter Gary Fineout on X. While Ladapo is a professor of medicine at the University of Florida (UF), UF Health, the university’s academic health center, released a state- ment emphasizing the safety and efficacy of vaccines. “Public health and safety is a shared responsibility,” the statement reads. “The overwhelming consensus of the medical and public health communities shows that vaccines are among the most studied and scru- tinized medical interventions in history. They are proven to be safe, effec- tive, and essential in preventing the spread of many serious infectious diseases. Following evidence-based practices regarding vaccines and other care decisions are best made in consultation with your health care professional.” DeSantis defended the announcement during an appearance on Fox News Wednesday night, explaining that the state believes in informed consent and parental rights. “As a parent, you shouldn’t be penalized,” he told Laura Ingraham. “Right now in this country, you go in for a surgery, some places won’t see you if you haven’t had the COVID shot or certain immunizations. Some pe- diatricians discriminate based on whether you have done Hepatitis B or not, and that’s not informed consent when there are coercive impacts.” When the 2026 legislative session begins in January, the DeSantis ad- ministration will have to work with the state legislature to repeal the state statute requiring immunizations for children. Meanwhile, DeSantis says the surgeon general can roll back other vaccine requirements instituted by the Florida Department of Health. 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