Florida will become 1st state not to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for children
Florida will become 1st state not to recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for children
Florida’s Surgeon General says that Florida will become the first state not to recommend the COVID-19 Vaccination for healthy children. A specific date for the recommendation and an age range of the children was not given.
LAKE MARY, Fla. - Florida’s Surgeon General says that Florida will become the first state not to recommend the COVID-19 vaccination for healthy children. A specific date for the recommendation and an age range of the children was not given.
"The Florida Department of health is going to be the first state to officially recommend against the COVID vaccine for healthy children," said State Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo.
The announcement came at the end of Governor Ron DeSantis’ roundtable on quote "COVID theatre."
The governor gave panelists the chance to reflect on the last two years of COVID-19 policy.
"You have this lack of trust in the medical establishment and in the CDC and the politicization of those institutions and that’s not going to bode well for us as a society," said Governor DeSantis.
Ladapo talked about what he felt were terrible and harmful policies that hurt the country. He also cited a recent study out of New York that he felt doesn’t find significant benefits for vaccinating children 5 to 11.
"Already the rates were low and scraping at the bottom of the barrel, particularly, with healthy kids," said Ladapo.
Ladapo’s recommendation would go against Federal and CDC guidelines as well as the American Academy of Pediatrics which recommends vaccinations for all children 5 and older.
"Although most children do have mild disease and infection there is no way to predict who will do well and who won’t," said Orlando Pediatrician Dr. Candice Jones. "Children have died. They have had complications such as MISC and long COVID."
Dr. Cameron Webb is the Senior Policy Advisor for COVID-19 Response for the White House. He feels this kind of recommendation is dangerous.
"Rather than listen to this redirect right now, talk to your own provider, and I’m sure you will hear very different messaging from your board-certified pediatrics who will tell you what to do," said Webb. "Every major medical society that takes care of kids, the American Academy of Pediatrics the American Academy of Family Clinicians all suggesting that parents that children 5 to 11 get vaccinated."
It’s important to note that while the state may change its recommendation, a recommendation is not policy. Local health officials say any child five and up will still be able to get vaccinated if they so choose.
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