The Surgeon General of Florida, Joseph Ladapo, launched a tirade against COVID-19 vaccines and other public health measures at a press conference with Gov. Ron DeSantis.
Ladapo, who is known for his opposition to masking, claimed that vaccines are harmful and ineffective, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary.
Ladapo said at the “Mandate Freedom” event in Jacksonville that there is “no evidence” for the booster shot, which is expected to be available soon. He also said that the mRNA vaccines, such as Moderna and Pfizer, cause “cardiac injury” in many people, referring to a condition called myocarditis, which medical experts say is a “very rare” side effect of the vaccines.
He further alleged that there have been no clinical trials on the booster shot, which is false, and that several studies showed that vaccines increase the risk of getting COVID-19, which is also false.
The Surgeon General of Florida dismissed the views of experts who support vaccines and advised social distancing and masking. He urged people who are hesitant about getting vaccinated to trust their instincts and feelings, rather than facts and science.
“Remember that experience of hearing these very educated people telling you what you should think but then listening inside to what makes sense, right? What feels right. You know what feels like truth,” Ladapo said.
“We’re all in different points in our spiritual journeys, but we all have that connection at some level. And when they try to convince you to be comfortable and agree with things that don’t feel comfortable, and don’t feel like things you should agree with, that is a sign … That’s a gift that’s one of that’s something that we’re endowed with from our Creator.”
Ladapo also praised the Florida Gov. for standing up to experts with “PhDs and MDs”, even though he has no medical background.
Meanwhile, Florida continues to struggle with the COVID-19 pandemic, with high rates of infections and deaths.
According to CDC data, hospitalizations from COVID-19 have also increased since July.
