The Florida surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, on June 29 accused the office of Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.), the chairman of the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, of having issued misleading statements about various matters related to Florida’s attitude and actions toward COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5.
Clyburn also said in his statement that DeSantis had promoted “anti-vaccine misinformation” that is “making it harder for parents to make fully informed decisions on how best to protect children’s health.”
Clyburn in his letter asserted: “Coronavirus vaccines have proven to be extremely safe and highly effective at reducing the risk of severe illness, hospitalization, and death.
“Now that they have been authorized for young children, all parents must be given accurate information on the vaccines’ benefits and must have the freedom to vaccinate their children without needless barriers put in place by politicians like Governor DeSantis.”
The press release said that Florida’s decision not to pre-order the vaccines “may have delayed vaccinations” for the children under 5, and that more than 30,000 Florida children under 5 “still may not have access to coronavirus vaccines.”
Florida Never Limited COVID-19 Vaccine Access: Ladapo
Ladapo said that the press release from the subcommittee provided “blatantly false statements” that “distract from legitimate public health efforts.”He said in the letter to Clyburn, “Information regarding the meeting released to media outlets earlier today mischaracterizes the conversation and we welcome the opportunity to clarify.”
The Florida Department of Health never limited vaccine access in Florida at any point since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, and that Florida had determined that preordering was unnecessary due to a low demand for COVID-19 vaccines for children, Ladapo said.
Preordering vaccines was done previously when supply was low and demand was high among high-risk populations such as those aged 65 and above, he noted.
Ladapo also said the state’s health department saw inefficiencies in previous pre-orderings of COVID-19 vaccines and so determined “that the process is cumbersome and no longer needed.” Rather than assuming demand, by allowing the vaccine providers to gauge their individual needs and directly order, it allowed for “more efficient resource management and distribution,” he said.
“While the Department chose not to engage in the pre-ordering process, providers were never restricted from ordering,” Ladapo noted, adding that pediatricians began ordering vaccines on June 17 when the EUAs were granted.
“Providers started receiving orders as early as June 21, 2022, which is further evidence for why the pre-ordering process is not needed,” Lapado added. “States that pre-ordered this vaccine will likely be left holding a significant amount of product due to the lack of demand.”
Reaffirms COVID-19 Vaccine Guidance, Policy in Florida
The Florida surgeon general also reaffirmed his decision to recommend against COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5.“There are no data that prove this vaccine is more effective than the placebo in reducing severe illness and other clinically meaningful outcomes in this age group,” Lapado wrote. “There is also inadequate data regarding the safety of the COVID-19 vaccine.”
He said studies continue to show a risk of heart inflammation—myocarditis and pericarditis—across multiple age groups but especially in adolescents and young males.
The Florida Department of Health disagrees with the FDA’s and the CDC’s recommendation of the COVID-19 vaccines for children under 5, Ladapo wrote. Manufacturers Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech have “failed to meet” the burden of proof for vaccine efficacy and safety such that the products’ benefits outweigh the risks for the age group under 5, he said.
The surgeon general noted that Florida “has always ensured COVID-19 vaccines and treatments are widely available, but never mandated.”
He noted that Florida “transitioned from an emergency COVID-19 response to an endemic phase which shifts health care back to private providers and the normal stream of health care,” and that the state expects doctors to manage COVID-19 on a case-by-case basis.
The House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis, in a statement on Twitter, said that Ladapo’s letter “did not dispute a single fact” in the press release and called Ladapo’s statements made at the staff briefing on June 28 “dangerous rhetoric.”
