Joseph Ladapo says no scientific research or data led to call for end to vaccine mandates in Florida

Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo defended his decision and plans to end all state-mandated vaccines on CNN Sunday morning during questioning from the network’s anchor Jake Tapper.

Right off the bat, Tapper asked Ladapo if the state used scientific analysis or data to arrive at the decision to work toward ending vaccine requirements. The move would end vaccine mandates even for school children in the Sunshine State and Lapado said his office did not use scientific comparisons.

“Absolutely not,” Ladapo said bluntly on CNN. “… There’s this conflation of the science and, sort of, what is the right and wrong thing to do.

“You (Tapper) mentioned Whooping Cough, that is an example and part of this issue of informed consent. That’s an example of a vaccine that is ineffective. The data show that is ineffective at preventing transmission, so mandates with that really don’t have anything to do with the notion of transmission.”

The state currently has in place pre-K-12 immunization requirements for polio, measles-mumps-rubella, chicken pox, Hepatitis B and other diseases. Ladapo said Thursday that those mandates drip “with disdain and slavery.” He added the state has no right to tell parents what they should put in a body which is “a gift for God.”

Going upon that theme, Ladapo told Tapper that medical decisions such as medications and mandates are overreach by the state. Ultimately, he said Sunday, it’s not the government’s call.

“This is an issue, very clearly, of parent’s rights. So, do I need to analyze whether it’s appropriate for parents to be able to decide what’s appropriate to go into their child’s bodies? I don’t need to do analysis on that,” Ladapo said.

Tapper followed up asking if Ladapo did any analysis at all along with projections what health impacts might result by lifting vaccine mandates in public schools, which no other state in the country is doing. He pointed out a Washington Post-KFF poll shows 82% of parents in Florida favor vaccine mandates in public schools.

“My history, if you will, is I share what I believe is the right thing to do, whether it is popular or not,” Ladapo said, adding he did such during the COVID-19 outbreak that began in 2020 and he claimed the lock downs were not appropriate while speaking out against the virus vaccines for children.

Tapper responded he was “kind of shocked” Ladapo didn’t do any analysis projecting what might happen to school children should vaccine mandates end in Florida.

Ladapo added he considers the issue an ethical issue and is out to protect the “individual sovereignty” of the bodies of Floridians.

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