Florida Surgeon General signals push to ban mRNA COVID-19 vaccines

Florida Surgeon General discusses mRNA vaccine ban

Just weeks after Florida officials announced an unprecedented push to eliminate all vaccine mandates, the state's surgeon general said he's now seeking to ban a certain type of vaccine. Evyn Moon reports.

TAMPA, Fla. - Florida’s top health official is going beyond his push to end vaccine requirements in schools and workplaces. 

In a recent podcast interview, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said he wants mRNA COVID-19 vaccines "not to be available to anyone." He clarified that Floridians would still have access to other vaccines, but singled out mRNA shots as unsafe in his view.

READ: Vaccine studies by UF, Stanford warn dropping mandates will bring disease spread

"The goal with mRNA is not to give that to anyone, because no one should be using that one," Ladapo said on the "On Call" podcast. 

The other side:

Public health experts, including doctors at the University of South Florida, said mRNA vaccines have been proven safe and effective. They credit them with saving lives and preventing severe illness.

"The benefits far outweigh the risks for the COVID vaccines," said Dr. Michael Teng with USF Health. "We know pretty clearly they’ve saved lives, especially for more vulnerable populations."

MORE: These states have the highest vaccination rates, data suggests

Even Trump, who launched "Operation Warp Speed" to develop the COVID-19 vaccines in 2020, has defended their success — putting him at odds with Florida’s leadership.

"You have vaccines that work. They just pure and simple work. They’re not controversial at all," President Donald Trump said after Florida first announced its push to end vaccine requirements. 

What's next:

The governor’s office has not said whether it supports banning mRNA vaccines. The White House has stated that Americans’ access to COVID vaccines will not change.

The power to remove vaccine mandates for polio, measles, mumps and rubella lies with the legislature, and so far there are few signals that leadership will consider it.

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The Department of Health controls vaccinations for chicken pox and Hepatitis B, and the surgeon general said the process is underway to remove those mandates.

Meanwhile, confusion remains at the pharmacy counter. In Florida and 15 other states, some large pharmacy chains have begun requiring a doctor’s prescription for COVID shots after recent FDA and CDC changes.