Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and the state’s top health department official are directly contradicting federal health recommendations and warning residents against getting a new COVID-19 booster, saying there’s not enough evidence it provides benefits that outweigh risks.

DeSantis, who is running for president, and Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo discussed the vaccine with doctors Wednesday on a Zoom call livestreamed on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. It repeated much of what they said a week ago during a live event in Jacksonville, in which they warned against the vaccine that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended this week.

Ladapo’s previous warnings against COVID-19 vaccines prompted a public letter from federal health agencies saying his claims were harmful to the public.

    • アルケミー船長
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      152 years ago

      I hate to say this, but this is a blessing in full view. If people want the “freedom” to not take a vaccine because “risks, 5G mind control, whatever” then let’s let them. Life is full of risks and they need a wakeup call.

      • @Senshi@lemmy.world
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        242 years ago

        I would agree if this decision would only affect themselves. But vaccination against infectious diseases works best if the majority is vaccinated. Then you can actually stop it from spreading. Which is important for all those that cannot be vaccinated for legitimate health reasons. Some vaccines are dangerous for specific subsets of the population. And usually it’s the same subset that would be most affected by an actual infection of the diseases we vaccinate against. Small children, pregnant people, any immunocompromised people… Vaccinating is an act of solidarity and community.

        • @Kage520@lemmy.world
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          2 years ago

          It’s not just important for those that cannot be vaccinated for health reasons. It’s important for the x% that the vaccine was not effective for.

          If it’s 90% effective, then you still have a 10% chance of getting it if exposed (Though probably less severe, you can still spread it). But if it’s 90% effective, you have a much lower chance of being exposed but ONLY IF MOST PEOPLE GET THE VACCINE!

          Sorry, not yelling at you. Just making the point that even if you get the vaccine, you are better off if everyone else does too.

          • @Senshi@lemmy.world
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            12 years ago

            That’s what I wanted to hint at in my third sentence, but yes, it wasn’t my main point. So thanks for picking up on this even more central aspect.

            Your explanation is rightfully more verbose. Herd immunity should not be a difficult concept, but it definitely can’t be explained often enough.

      • @CADmonkey@lemmy.world
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        62 years ago

        The problem is, refusing to take the vaccine is sort of like a drunk moron firing a pistol into the air. It might hurt them, or their family, but more likely they will kill someone they never knew.

  • Obinice
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    132 years ago

    Interesting, this sort of intentional dangerous disinformation would be illegal here coming from a trusted public figure, what sort of charges will this De Santis guy be brought up on?

    If there’s evidence he did it, it should be a pretty open and shut case.

    • @Signtist@lemm.ee
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      82 years ago

      Open and shut against a regular person, sure, but if we’ve learned anything in the last 8 years, it’s that government officials who spread misinformation won’t see repercussions for a long time, if ever.

  • @books@lemmy.world
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    62 years ago

    Dude went to Yale law school, not Yale School of medicine.

    I’ll take his advice on things of a legal nature, but not medicine.

    • Yo trust me it’s entirely possible to go to law school and learn fucking nothing about justice or rights. Some people go in with preconceived ideas.

      And I bet it happens all the time at fancy schools like Yale.

      I went in basically a centrist, but with compassion for regular working people. And then you spend three years reading cases day and day out where corporations and government forces have done nothing but fuck people over.

      I came out a flaming progressive with complete clarity that the billionaire class uses the law to maintain their power and destroy progress.

      Maybe you go in, and you read all that shit that people do, and you think, hey this is great, I could do this too!

      Then they go off and work at some corporate white shoe law firm that spends all day defending insurance companies and wage thieves. I got halfway through before I realized I could never work at one of those law firms. Many of my friends did, and they’re all rich now, but I don’t know how they sleep at night.

  • Temple Square
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    2 years ago

    At this point, it’s just a temper tantrum.

    Democrats/scientists/experts/youth are the “annoying older brother” and anything they want is “stupid.”

    Lead poisoning (gasoline) really ruined a generation.

    • @GreenMario@lemm.ee
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      452 years ago

      We can literally control them via reverse psychology. Like pulling strings on a puppet.

      All we gotta say is sleeping in the middle of the street is dangerous and have ONE pink haired lesbian liberal hold a sign saying that and then film ONE guy with a camo hat with a fish hook in the bill to say in the biggest southern drawl that he ain’t gonna let no woke tell him he can’t take a nap on I-10.

      • @Illuminostro@lemmy.world
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        192 years ago

        Seriously, the easiest way to manipulate a narcissist is to tell them what they want to hear.

        “Man, that’s a great idea! Did you think of that yourself? Of course you did, I wish I was as smart as you!”

    • @PrincessLeiasCat@sh.itjust.works
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      2 years ago

      It’s kind of where that all ends up, isn’t it? They all start off with their own thing/brand/whatever, and as soon as they realize they either won’t beat Trump/are losing votes in their state/district they pivot to being the dumbest and most extreme fascist just to prove that they’re “cool” because ultimately, that’s where this game leads: the lowest common denominator.

      Meanwhile, the rest of us sit and suffer.

  • Flying Squid
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    342 years ago

    COVID mostly kills off the elderly.

    Good thing Florida’s population is so young and spry.

  • @LongbottomLeaf@lemmy.nz
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    172 years ago

    At the height of the pandemic, Ladapo refused to wear a mask during a meeting with a Democratic senator who was undergoing cancer treatment.

    Ah, so a bona fide P.O.S.

  • @paddirn@lemmy.world
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    262 years ago

    You know, at this point, if you’re listening to DeSantis, go ahead, don’t get the booster. We need less people to vote for DeSantis or people like him in the future. Anyone opposed to him isn’t going to follow his advice, so this should hopefully sort itself out as time goes on.

  • Alien Nathan Edward
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    92 years ago

    Memba when Florida went from front of the pack in new COVID cases and new COVID deaths to having no open cases, no new cases and no dsiky deaths literally overnight?