{"id":2483246,"date":"2025-09-06T17:24:02","date_gmt":"2025-09-06T21:24:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-surgeon-general-ladapos-vaccine-mandates-opposition-goes-against-medical-mainstream\/"},"modified":"2025-09-06T17:27:28","modified_gmt":"2025-09-06T21:27:28","slug":"florida-surgeon-general-ladapos-vaccine-mandates-opposition-goes-against-medical-mainstream","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/florida-surgeon-general-ladapos-vaccine-mandates-opposition-goes-against-medical-mainstream\/","title":{"rendered":"Florida surgeon general Ladapo\u2019s vaccine mandates opposition goes against medical mainstream"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fflorida-surgeon-general-ladapos-vaccine-mandates-opposition-goes-against-medical-mainstream%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2483246&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article discusses Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo&#8217;s opposition to vaccine mandates, wich contradicts the prevailing medical consensus. Appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis,Ladapo has declared that vaccine requirements for diseases such as measles,polio,and chickenpox amount to government-imposed &#8220;slavery&#8221; and announced Florida&#8217;s intention to eliminate all mandatory vaccinations for schoolchildren. Despite his strong academic credentials, including degrees from Harvard, Ladapo&#8217;s views and policies challenge decades of established public health practices that have significantly reduced infectious diseases and saved millions of lives worldwide.<\/p>\n<p>Ladapo and DeSantis emphasize &#8220;medical freedom,&#8221; arguing for individual choice regarding vaccinations and other health measures. Ladapo has also expressed skepticism about COVID-19 vaccines, questioning their safety and efficacy, which has been widely disputed by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/in-shocking-reversal-facebook-wont-ban-un-debunked-wuhan-lab-or-man-made-theories\/\" title=\"In Shocking Reversal, Facebook Won\u2019t Ban Un-Debunked \u2018Wuhan Lab\u2019 Or \u2018Man-Made\u2019 Theories\">leading health organizations<\/a>, including the FDA.His stance has sparked notable criticism from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/dems-lost-all-credibility-on-social-distancing-after-biden-celebrations\/\" title=\"Dems Lost All Credibility On Social Distancing After Biden Celebrations\">public health officials<\/a> and politicians, who warn that removing vaccine mandates could lead to increased disease outbreaks and endanger children&#8217;s health.<\/p>\n<p>Supporters of Ladapo praise his willingness to challenge the medical establishment and advocate for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/watch-msnbcs-joy-reid-admits-to-double-masking-while-jogging-even-though-shes-vaccinated\/\" title=\"WATCH: MSNBC\u2019s Joy Reid Admits To Double-Masking While Jogging Even Though She\u2019s Vaccinated\">personal health decisions<\/a> free from government mandates, while critics fear the consequences of <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >undermining proven public health policies<\/a>.The article highlights the ongoing debate and polarized views regarding vaccine mandates and public health governance in Florida. <br \/> <!DOCTYPE html><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-header-search-button-mob dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><span class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-button\"><i class=\"tdb-mobile-menu-icon td-icon-mobile\"><\/i><\/span><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search\" aria-labelledby=\"td-header-search-button\">\n<div class=\"tdb-drop-down-search-inner\">\n<form method=\"get\" class=\"tdb-search-form\" action=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/\"><\/form>\n<div class=\"tdb-aj-search\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/#\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"Search\" class=\"tdb-head-search-btn dropdown-toggle\" data-toggle=\"dropdown\"><i class=\"tdb-search-icon td-icon-search\"><\/i><\/a><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<h1 class=\"tdb-title-text\">Florida surgeon general Ladapo&rsquo;s vaccine mandates opposition goes against medical mainstream<\/h1>\n<div><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-title-line\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\">\n<div id=\"Brid_2222383\" class=\"tpd-featured-video bridtv\"><\/div>\n<p><strong>ST. PETERSBURG, Florida (AP) &mdash;<\/strong> Dr. Joseph Ladapo, whose credentials include two Harvard University degrees, says that requiring vaccinations for diseases like measles, polio and chickenpox amounts to government-imposed &ldquo;slavery.&rdquo; It&rsquo;s&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/measles-outbreak-florida-school-ladapo-259440881f1d5e11dc69ed64ff055418\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">far from the first time<\/a>&nbsp;Florida&rsquo;s surgeon general has cut against the medical establishment grain.<\/p>\n<p>Ladapo, an appointee of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, made worldwide headlines this week by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/florida-childhood-vaccines-mandate-eliminate-desantis-363323dcdd3811ca9ad7def5f9a30fb2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">announcing Florida would seek to eliminate all mandated vaccinations for schoolchildren<\/a>&nbsp;and others. He cast the immunization requirements, which date back decades and are considered&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/florida-vaccine-mandates-desantis-schools-health-38688345e8d2cac6ecc6e92f3babe0f8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">a major global medical achievement that has saved millions of lives<\/a>, as improper government intrusion in personal health decisions.<\/p>\n<div class=\"recommended-stories\">\n<h2>Recommended Stories<\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3796222\/how-romance-and-a-road-trip-led-to-the-purchase-of-the-worlds-oldest-drive-in-theater\/\">How romance and a road trip led to the purchase of the world&rsquo;s oldest drive-in theater<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3796239\/walmart-struggles-tariff-inflation\/\">World&#8217;s largest retailer struggles to keep costs down as tariffs hit<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/3796221\/what-to-know-about-the-trial-of-the-man-accused-of-trying-to-assassinate-trump-in-florida\/\">What to know about the trial of the man accused of trying to assassinate Trump in Florida<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-paywall\">\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3796070\/white-house-accuses-biden-staffer-impersonating-chief-of-staff-autopen\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>WHITE HOUSE ACCUSES BIDEN STAFFER OF IMPERSONATING CHIEF OF STAFF IN AUTOPEN INVESTIGATION<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Every last one is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,&rdquo; Ladapo said at a news conference with DeSantis this week. &ldquo;Who am I, or anyone else, 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&rsquo;t have that right.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Removing policies that keep our children healthy creates unnecessary confusion and fear,&rdquo; said Dr. Rana Alissa, president of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. &ldquo;Schools are tight-knit networks of children, educators, and families, making it easy for contagious diseases to spread.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-impeccable-credentials-for-an-anti-establishment-figure\">Impeccable credentials for an anti-establishment figure<\/h2>\n<p>Ladapo, 46, emigrated from Nigeria to the U.S. at age five with his parents. He earned a degree in chemistry from Wake Forest University and then attended Harvard, where he got his medical degree and also a doctorate in health policy.<\/p>\n<p>This is a well-trodden path for medical expertise. Ladapo was affiliated after Harvard with New York University and later UCLA, where his op-eds against the pandemic response were noticed by&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/coronavirus-pandemic-health-florida-ron-desantis-ccea6d2ca421f837257b08cb0efe7b4c\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">DeSantis, who tapped him as Florida surgeon general<\/a>&nbsp;in 2021. Ladapo also&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/business-university-of-florida-ron-desantis-florida-gainesville-43d2f0f62f44d012546acf46aa96eda8\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">got a professor position at the University of Florida<\/a>&nbsp;medical school in the deal.<\/p>\n<p>Like the governor, Ladapo raised questions about COVID-19 policies that forced people to wear masks and move education online, keep their distance from others and show proof of COVID vaccinations to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/desantis-says-florida-wont-require-covid-19-vaccine-passports\/\" title=\"... Says ... Won\u2019t Require COVID-19 Vaccine Passports\">attend public events<\/a>, go to a restaurant or take a cruise. Ladapo also&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/florida-ladapo-covid19-vaccines-c498ffcb2393a1fffd692e1687e62e4e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">misrepresented studies<\/a>&nbsp;to raise doubts about the mRNA vaccine,&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/fact-check-ladapo-mrna-vaccine-infection-qatar-study-193508190603\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">the studies&rsquo; authors said<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/news\/white-house\/3475536\/timeline-trump-epstein-relationship-friendship-fallout-beyond\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>A TIMELINE OF TRUMP AND EPSTEIN&rsquo;S RELATIONSHIP, FROM FRIENDSHIP TO FALLOUT AND BEYOND<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>In a 2024 guidance statement, Ladapo&rsquo;s Department of Health warned against using the COVID vaccine at all, contending that &ldquo;the federal government has failed to provide sufficient data to support the safety and efficacy of COVID-19 boosters, or acknowledge previously demonstrated safety concerns associated with COVID-19 vaccines and boosters.&rdquo; Those purported risks include respiratory tract infections, greater chance of autoimmune disease and cardiovascular problems.<\/p>\n<p>Almost every major medical or public health organization disputed those assertions, including the Food and Drug Administration: &ldquo;The challenge we continue to face is the ongoing proliferation of misinformation and disinformation about these vaccines which results in vaccine hesitancy that lowers vaccine uptake,&rdquo; said the FDA statement, adding that the agency &ldquo;respectfully disagrees with the Florida Surgeon General&rsquo;s opinion.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-ladapo-s-supporters-and-critics-question-each-other-s-sanity\">Ladapo&rsquo;s supporters and critics question each other&rsquo;s sanity<\/h2>\n<p>In his public comments, Ladapo makes clear he does not follow the guidance of government health experts who, in his view, don&rsquo;t look at the full picture of how to tackle disease and improve public health. His agency did not respond to an Associated Press request for an interview.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;It&rsquo;s just this sea of insanity,&rdquo; he said this week. &ldquo;People are going to have to choose a side. People have a right to make their own decisions, informed decisions.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/policy\/economy\/3154138\/trump-no-tax-overtime-proposal-what-to-know\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><strong>TRUMP&rsquo;S &lsquo;NO TAXES ON OVERTIME&rsquo; PROPOSAL: WHAT TO KNOW<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n<p>Ladapo&rsquo;s focus on what he and DeSantis call &ldquo;medical freedom&rdquo; also fuels his skepticism about other long-established health policies, such as the FDA&rsquo;s warning against&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/raw-milk-infection-florida-farm-d6f675d6b4e8c5345bd701ae52e7403e\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">consuming unpasteurized milk<\/a>&nbsp;that can contain salmonella and other deadly bacteria, or the addition of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/fluoride-ban-florida-ron-desantis-9bb4713fb27d966d963e559cab98f992\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">fluoride in drinking water<\/a>&nbsp;to promote healthy teeth.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;At what point are you free to make your own decisions?&rdquo; DeSantis said this week. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve done a lot over the years to really be on the right side of fighting against the hysteria.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p>Ladapo has many critics in the public health realm and, increasingly, among politicians seeking to tie his unorthodox policies to DeSantis and other Republicans. U.S. Rep. Frederica Wilson, a Democrat from South Florida, wants Ladapo ousted.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;Are we losing our minds? This is getting ridiculous and pathetic. Are we trying to kill millions of innocent children? Childhood vaccines save lives,&rdquo; Wilson posted on social media this week. &ldquo;Governor DeSantis must either remove Joseph Ladapo as Surgeon General or have him resign.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<p><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/daily-memo\/3339291\/hunter-biden-business-goes-bust-book-art-sales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FOR HUNTER, THE BIDEN BUSINESS GOES BUST<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n<p>There&rsquo;s no indication that will happen. Ladapo appears to have full support from DeSantis and many conservatives cheer his willingness to buck the medical establishment, including what some see as the untoward influence of pharmaceutical companies.<\/p>\n<p>&ldquo;There are many brave people out there &mdash; moms &amp; dads, doctors, scientists, and others &mdash; who have shown admirable courage in the fight for medical freedom,&rdquo; Ladapo posted recently on the X social media platform. &ldquo;Let&rsquo;s continue. Much more work to be done.&rdquo;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p> <script data-cfasync=\"false\" src=\"http:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/cdn-cgi\/scripts\/5c5dd728\/cloudflare-static\/email-decode.min.js\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"tdb-block-inner td-fix-index\"><\/div>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Florida surgeon general Ladapo opposes vaccine mandates<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2634,"featured_media":2483247,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP25239768519008.jpg?w=696","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[5113,62764,62765,45292,50404],"class_list":["post-2483246","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-florida","tag-ladapo","tag-medical-mainstream","tag-surgeon-general","tag-vaccine-mandates"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.washingtonexaminer.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/AP25239768519008.jpg?w=696","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2483246","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2634"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2483246"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2483246\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2483250,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2483246\/revisions\/2483250"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2483247"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2483246"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2483246"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2483246"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}