Anti-Vaccine Propaganda About COVID Vaccines

Florida Man gives bad advice about COVID vaccines - again.

We are all used to hearing unusual stories out of Florida, right?

‘Florida Man’ is a popular cultural phenomenon in which journalists report on Floridians' unusual (and often criminal) behavior, and readers relish in and share the stories, largely on social media.

Explaining Florida Man

Those stories are typically harmless.

At least for the folks who are just reading the stories…

What do you do when Florida Man is the State Surgeon General?

Unfortunately, when Florida Man is the State Surgeon General and he is giving bad advice about COVID vaccines, there is a lot of potential for people to get harmed!

As with most anti-vaccine propaganda, in coming up with his recommendation, Joseph Ladapo downplays how serious a natural COVID infection can be and overstates the risks of side effects from COVID vaccines.

And that is what we are now seeing in Florida…

“The stated target of these boosters is the Omicron variant which is not causing a significant number of infections.”

State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo

Joseph Ladapo has told everyone to skip getting an updated COVID vaccine this fall.

An updatded COVID vaccine that does indeed target the latest strains that are causing a late summer surge.

“On June 27, 2024, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccination with a Food and Drug Administration (FDA)–authorized or approved vaccine for all persons aged ≥6 months. In August 2024, the FDA approved and authorized the Omicron JN.1 lineage (JN.1 and KP.2), 2024–2025 COVID-19 vaccines by Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech (KP.2 strain) and Novavax (JN.1 strain).”

Use of COVID-19 Vaccines for Persons Aged ≥6 Months: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, 2024–2025

In contrast, all other health experts recommend that everyone who is at least 6 months of age get an updated COVID vaccine “to target currently circulating SARS-CoV-2 strains and provide additional protection against severe COVID-19–associated illness and death.”

Who should you listen to?

• FDA and CDC Response to the Florida Surgeon General

• Faulty Science Underpins Florida Surgeon General’s Call to Halt mRNA COVID-19 Vaccination

• Florida health official repeats debunked claim that Covid mRNA vaccines contain 'DNA-changing virus'

• Florida’s COVID-19 Vaccination Analysis Is Flawed, Experts Say

• Florida Department of Health misleads on COVID-19 vaccine safety with erroneous comparison of VAERS reports

• Autopsy Study Doesn’t Show COVID-19 Vaccines Are Unsafe

• The State of Florida spreads antivaccine disinformation disguised as an epidemiological “study”

• Dr. Joseph Ladapo’s assault on public health in Florida: Will it be coming to the federal government next year?

• Florida’s surgeon general says not to get the COVID vaccine. That’s why I got mine.

• Experts refute latest Florida guidance on COVID vaccine as flawed and dangerous

Do you want to risk getting COVID, ending up hospitalized with COVID, or dying with COVID?

“Any real or theoretical risk of vaccine adverse events needs to be placed in the context of benefits of COVID-19 vaccines in preventing COVID-19 and its potentially serious complications, including stroke.”

Use of COVID-19 Vaccines for Persons Aged ≥6 Months: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, 2024–2025

Or do you want to reduce your risk of getting COVID, ending up hospitalized with COVID, or dying with COVID as much as possible?

If you want to reduce your risk of getting COVID, ending up hospitalized with COVID, or dying with COVID as much as possible, then get yourself and your family an updated COVID vaccine as soon as you can.

“Based on available information for the COVID-19 vaccines that are authorized or approved in the United States, the known and potential benefits of these vaccines clearly outweigh their known and potential risks. Additionally, not only is there no evidence of increased risk of death following mRNA vaccines, but available data have shown quite the opposite: that being up to date on vaccinations saves lives compared to individuals who did not get vaccinated.”

FDA and CDC Response to the Florida Surgeon General

Updated COVID vaccines which are now available!

References

Explaining Florida Man. https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/facsch_lawrev/2117/

Florida Department of Health. Office of the State Surgeon General. Updated Guidance for COVID-19 Boosters for the Fall and Winter 2024–2025 Season. September 12, 2024. https://www.floridahealth.gov/diseases-and-conditions/respiratory-illness/COVID-19/_documents/news/2023/09/20230913-booster-guidance-final.pdf

Panagiotakopoulos L, Moulia DL, Godfrey M, et al. Use of COVID-19 Vaccines for Persons Aged ≥6 Months: Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices — United States, 2024–2025. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. ePub: 10 September 2024. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15585/mmwr.mm7337e2.

FDA and CDC Response to the Florida Surgeon General. https://www.cdc.gov/media/releases/2023/p0313-letter.html