FLORIDA PHYSICIANS URGE SENATE TO RIGOROUSLY VET LADAPO ON PANDEMIC RESPONSE, FRINGE VIEWS

MIAMI, FL — Today, the Florida Senate Health Policy Committee will meet to consider Governor Ron DeSantis’ nomination for state Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo. When he was nominated in the fall of 2021, over 350 medical professionals across the state signed a letter to the Florida Senate urging them to exercise their authority to ask certain questions of him, noting their concerns about his commitment to Floridians’ health and safety. Since then, Dr. Ladapo has continued to subvert best medical advice both in his work and personal conduct, stating in a press conference that young people don’t need to get tested for COVID-19, and refusing to wear a mask in a meeting with a lawmaker undergoing cancer treatment. Dr. Nancy Staats, a retired anesthesiologist and critical care physician in Jacksonville, released the following statement regarding today’s Senate hearing:

“Medical professionals, myself included, maintain grave concerns about Dr. Ladapo’s qualifications and approaches thus far to COVID-19, and hope that our elected officials will use this opportunity to get much needed answers from Gov. DeSantis’ pick. We worry about Dr. Ladapo’s documented connection to the disinformation-spreading group, America’s Frontline Doctors, whose infamous video about ‘demon sperm’ causing COVID-19 features Dr. Ladapo. We wonder why, despite the overwhelming evidence and trust from the vast majority of doctors that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective, Dr. Ladapo opposes vaccines. We’d like to know the truth about why, seemingly, Dr. Ladapo doesn’t actually have any clinical experience, and hasn’t treated COVID-19 patients as he asserted. Finally, he has increased the stress on our health care workers and system, and his discouragement of vaccines has resulted in more unnecessary deaths and suffering. In my opinion as a physician and resident of Florida who’s concerned about my patients and my community, if Dr. Ladapo cannot answer these questions and instill faith that he’ll follow the best prevailing medical guidance, he should not be confirmed in this critical role.”

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