The Florida Medical Association, the state’s largest physicians’ organization, strongly backed childhood vaccinations Thursday, a day after state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo vowed to end vaccine mandates.
“On behalf of Florida’s more than 23,000 physicians and medical professionals, the Florida Medical Association unequivocally supports the vaccination and immunization of school-aged children against diseases that decades ago proved life-threatening to our kids,” the organization said in a statement.
“The FMA advocates for physicians and their patients to promote the public health, ensure the highest standards of medical practice and to enhance the quality and availability of health care in the Sunshine State. This includes the safe and effective administration of vaccines and immunizations based on years of research and efficacy.”
The statement did not specifically address state mandates for schoolchildren to receive vaccinations for such things as polio, measles and chicken pox. Ladapo drew national attention Wednesday when he vowed to end the requirements, saying government doesn’t have the “right” to determine what people put in their bodies. Gov. Ron DeSantis also said Florida will establish a “Make America Healthy Again” advisory committee overseen by First Lady Casey DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins.
“The Florida Department of Health, in partnership with the governor, is going to be working to end all vaccine mandates in Florida. All of them. All of them. Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” Ladapo said.
–News Service of Florida
Judith G. Michaud says
What in the world could he be thinking? He has 3 young children who associate with other children during school and play! Does he think his children are magically protected? He needs to find his brain, if he has one!
Joe D says
As a Registered Nurse with a Master’s Degree as a Clinical Nurse Specialist, certification as a Nurse Case Manager and 43 years of Nursing experience (20 of which were spent working with children and families…I was first STUNNED by this announcement…which QUICKLY converted to OUTRAGE!
Absolutely unbelievable…and Florida’s “joke” of a Surgeon General ( in my personal opinion) says it should be up to parents what gets put into their children’s bodies…we are going back to the late 1950’s before most vaccines were developed, when local exposure became epidemic spreads of the disease killing and disabling children and non-vaccinated adults. Adults younger than 65 don’t even REMEMBER how many children died or were permanently disabled from measles and polio. I wonder if that means the insurance companies can refuse to pay for those parents of children who do want the immunizations, since they are no longer “mandated.”
These vaccines have been studied over and over for DECADES, and through PEER REVIEWED studies have been determined to be both SAFE and EFFECTIVE at either preventing the disease or (as in the case of Covid RNA vaccines) significantly lessening the SEVERITY of the disease, so as not to result in disability or death.
The INSANITY of the antivaxers ( once on the fringes of so call “alternative medicine”)…now has taken over MAINSTREAM MEDICINE!
I still believe we are living in the Superman comic’s BIZARRO WORLD (where everything there was the reverse of what our world was). Just insanity…and with the large number of family resorts in Florida…international or out of state visitors can be exposed here and take it back to their local communities and cause epidemics THERE!
It just boggles my mind the potential damaging RAMIFICATIONS of this PURELY POLITICAL policy going forward…history looking back will judge us as FOOL HARDY for ignoring PROVEN SCIENCE…in favor of unproven “fringe theories.”
Kat says
If you don’t mandate the vaccines, then Insurance doesn’t have to pay for them. The people who are making these laws can afford to pay for the vaccines, the same people that can afford to send their children to private school. They don’t care if the poor children get sick or have a terrible education. That’s the bottom line. There’s no science involved, just pure cruelty and greed.
Pogo says
@A damn shame
… this state is run by weirdo psychics and witch doctors who, if they were sitting in the back of a pickup truck sinking in water, would all drown while trying to get the tailgate down so they could get out.
Laurel says
Ladapo is an idiot, in my opinion, as are the DeSantises.
When I was a kid in the 50’s, we all lined up for our shots (as much as we hated them). Polio was a major threat, that was stopped in its tracks, and kids, and their parents, haven’t had to worry about it since. A horrible disease conquered. We trusted that what was happening was for our own good, and in the case of immunization, it was for our own good. Trust is definitely a thing of the past.
The belief that immunization causes autism is a myth. I would wager that the big corporations that promote processed foods, pollution, environmentally harmful chemicals, are just delighted with the myth.
So now, we are ruled by stupidity and chaos. The uneducated folks will rally around the lack of science, and their kids will suffer unnecessarily. Culling of the herd, I suppose. Such a shame. But, as Trump, DeSantis and Ladapo likes it, it will be hard to figure out what to do, cost wise. Will insurance cover your desired vaccine? Will people skip vaccines simply because of price? How will research for new vaccines be funded? Can you still get the shot at your pharmacy? Maybe RFK, who is unqualified to be Secretary of Health and Human Services will come up with something. They do love their chaos.
Deborah Coffey says
When the first person dies from a disease that has been eradicated, we’ll need to charge Ron DeSantis and fake doctor, Ladapo, with first degree murder. They know better; they’re just happy to kill children and others for their political benefits. They won’t be alone in prison, Trump and RFK Jr. will be right there beside them. This is willful murder.
S. Peters says
Babies getting their first series of vaccinations and young children are not given a choice. They are at the mercy of what their parents choose to do. If their parents are idiots and choose not to vaccinate their children and know there’s no mandate to do so for them to go to school then this is a nightmare in the making. Will our county health departments still provide vaccinations for children at no cost? This is a mess and our Surgeon General is a fool and so is DeSantis.
My thoughts says
Ladapo is a quack appointed by DeSantis. DeSantis children go to private schools and they have been vaccinated but he is saying children in public schools don’t need to be vaccinated, guess their lives don’t matter unless their in a private school.
Let that sink in to you.
DeSantis is trying to get Trump brownie points when his job in Florida ends he is hoping Trump gives him a job in Washington.
Wake up to reality.
Laurel says
Pogo: “…would all drown while trying to get the tailgate down so they could get out.”
🤣
Thanks for the laugh!
Skibum says
Ladapo… I cannot even call him our state’s “surgeon general”, needs to have his medical license revoked! He has the unmitigated gall to stand at the podium during a statewide press conference and spout all sorts of stupidity, nonsense and conspiracy theories in lieu of facts based on proven medical science!
He asked rhetorically, “Who am I to tell people what to put in their bodies!?” Well, I have a response to him: Ladapo, aren’t you a doctor? Isn’t that in the job description? Giving people medical advice, particularly about writing prescriptions or directing patients to get a certain medication or vaccine is LITERALLY what competent, knowledgeable, ethical medical professionals do!
Obviously, Ladapo does not fit in the above category and has no business giving any of us medical advice, particularly witch doctor pseudo-science that has no proven medical research data to back it up! Thankfully, the FL Medical Association is calling out BS and so far resisting being associated with quack medicine from the idiot governor and his quack “surgeon general” fool.
People in this state would be well advised to disregard ANYTHING those two imbecilic morons advise of a medical nature, and instead follow the advice of a competent personal physician.
Sherry says
Insanity reigns in the desantis/trump administration! Jail time for those idiots who will certainly be responsible for the sickness/deaths of school children!
Atwp says
Voters cast their ballots for Desantis in very large numbers. Republican voters get kicked in the butt. You get what you vote for.
DaleL says
I think that Florida law, specifically Chapter 827.03 should be strictly enforced. The basic childhood vaccines should be regarded as necessary medical care for all children. Joseph Ladapo should be removed from office and charged with a felony.
The statute states that (e) “Neglect of a child” means:
1. A caregiver’s failure or omission to provide a child with the care, supervision, and services necessary to maintain the child’s physical and mental health, including…medicine, and medical services that a prudent person would consider essential….
The refusal of a parent or other caregiver to vaccinate their child against polio, measles, etc. should be considered a form of child neglect.
Joseph Ladapo, the Florida Surgeon General, should not be actively encouraging any parent or other caregiver to withhold lifesaving medical care, including vaccines, from children. 827.03 states that: (b) “Child abuse” means: 3. Active encouragement of any person to commit an act that results or could reasonably be expected to result in physical or mental injury to a child.
Who the heck thinks it could ever be a good idea to not vaccinate children against polio? Is it the American iron lung manufacturers association?