Ladapo calls for FDA transparency, cites jump in life-threatening condition reports after COVID vaccine
Amber Jo Cooper contributed to this report.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (FLV) – Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo sent a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that said the reporting of life-threatening conditions increased by 4,400% in Florida following the release of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Ladapo’s letter told the FDA that academic researchers throughout the U.S. and around the globe have seen “troubling safety signals of adverse events surrounding this vaccine [mRNA COVID vaccine].” He said their concerns are “corroborated” by the increase in reports from the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System.
“We have never seen this type of response following previous mass vaccination efforts pushed by the federal government,” Ladapo said.
In Florida alone, Ladapo said it includes a 1,700% increase in reports from Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) after the release of the vaccine compared to an increase of 400% in vaccine administration for the same period in Florida alone. He then noted that the reporting of life-threatening conditions increased 4,400%.
The Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System is a national early warning system to detect possible safety problems in U.S. licensed vaccines and is co-managed by the CDC and FDA. It accepts and analyzes reports of adverse events (possible side effects) after a person has received a vaccination. Anyone can report an adverse event to VAERS.
In the letter, Ladapo pointed to a recent study that he said showed mRNA vaccines were associated with an “excess risk” of serious side effects including coagulation disorders, acute cardiac injuries, Bell’s palsy and encephalitis, “to name a few.”
“To claim these vaccines are ‘safe and effective’ while minimizing and disregarding the adverse events is unconscionable,” Ladapo said.
The surgeon general told the FDA that “we need unbiased research” to better understand short and long term effects of the COVID vaccines.
Ladapo requested that the FDA promote transparency to “accurately” communicate the risks of COVID vaccines.
“As a father, physician, and Surgeon General for the state of Florida, I request that your agencies promote transparency in health care professionals to accurately communicate the risks these vaccines pose. I request that you work to protect the rights and liberties that we are endowed with, not restrict, and diminish them,” Ladapo said.
“The COVID-19 pandemic brought many challenges that the health and medical field have never encountered. Although the initial response was led by a sense of urgency and crisis management, I believe it is critical that as public health professionals, responses are adapted to the present to chart a future guided by data and common sense,” Ladapo said.
Ladapo previously said mRNA COVID-19 vaccines are “far less safe” than other vaccines based on an autopsy-based clinical research in a cardiology study.
In October, Ladapo announced new mRNA COVID-19 vaccine guidance, advising against males aged 18-39 years old from taking those vaccines due to a reported 84% increase in the relative incidence of heart-related deaths.
He told the FDA in the letter that Florida “remains dedicated” to responding to COVID-19 and other public health concerns through “data-driven decisions.”
“We will continue to shed light on the safety and efficiency of medications, including mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, that could be an imminent threat to those with preexisting conditions. We will also promote the importance of prevention by supporting good nutrition, exercise, and other healthy habits,” Ladapo said.
