Florida's surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, advised that anyone under 65 years of age should not get COVID-19 booster vaccines.
"Today, @FLSurgeonGen Dr. Ladapo is advising caution regarding the use of the hastily-approved mRNA COVID boosters. We will not stand by and let the FDA and CDC use Floridians as guinea pigs for mRNA jabs that have not been proven to be safe or effective," Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis said Thursday on X.
"I just think that at this point, with the amount of immunity that's in the community, virtually every walking human being has some degree of immunity. And the questions we have about safety and about effectiveness, especially safety, my judgment is it's not a good decision," Ladapo said at a vaccine panel Thursday.
New guidance from the Florida Department of Health cites the "high rate of global immunity and currently available data" to back up its recommendations, saying "the state surgeon general recommends against the COVID-19 booster for individuals under 65. Individuals 65 and older should discuss this information with their health care provider, including potential concerns outlined in this guidance."
The guidance also highlights "safety and efficacy concerns, including potential negative effectiveness, possible myocarditis risks, and other health risks that may come along with elevated levels of spike protein."
Included in the guidance as well is advice on healthy habits, such as exercise, avoiding processed foods whenever possible, spending time outside for vitamin D, and eating vegetables and healthy fats.
Jeremy Frankel ✉
Jeremy Frankel is a Newsmax writer reporting on news and politics.
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