The U.S. Food and Drug Administration fought back on Friday against what it calls “the proliferation of misinformation” by Florida’s Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo about the safety of COVID-19 vaccines.

In a letter earlier this month to the FDA, Ladapo had questioned the agency’s drug approval and raised alarms about what he sees as the risk of potential cancer posed by COVID-19 mRNA vaccines. Ladapo, the leader of Florida’s health department, said he believed the drug delivery system used by mRNA vaccines could be an “efficient vehicle for delivering contaminant DNA into human cells.”

But a top researcher with the FDA released a public response to Ladapo on Friday saying the Surgeon General’s scientific assertion regarding the cancer risk is “implausible.”

“These questions (raised by Ladapo) are designed to scare people rather than investigate true science,” she said. “What we do know is that COVID continues to kill thousands of people every month in the U.S. I think he is doing a disservice to the people of Florida by trying to scare them into not getting a vaccine that can be lifesaving.”

  • RainfallSonata@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    Can they take away his medical license (I guess Im assuming he has one. It’s Florida, though, so who knows.)? Cause unless he’s got scientific evidence to back his claims, they should limit his ability to practice.

  • Jaysyn@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    It should be called “manslaughter” coming from an appointed medical official.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      It does seem like the state should be liable for offering medical advice so contrary to prevailing medical knowledge

  • Awa@mander.xyz
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    1 year ago

    As a Floridian, I was disgusted to receive an email several month ago from the office of the Surgeon General advising against getting Covid vaccines and boosters knowing a majority of folks who receive this email will take this as best recommended practice. Folks, it is your choice, but please talk to your doctor to help guide you in such decisions.

  • RePsyche@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It’s just bullshit, trying to scare people, with queries that have no scientific basis. “Dr. Kawsar Talaat, an associate professor in the Department of International Health at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, says those three concerns have no scientific basis.

    Her research expertise is in conducting clinical trials for a variety of vaccines to determine their safety and efficacy. “The COVID vaccine enters the outer part of cell and the RNA works there. It wouldn’t be possible for the DNA to integrate into the chromosomes since they are not even in same compartment,” she said. “Even if they were, the mechanism that allows that to happen is not included in the vaccine.” “

  • Awa@lemmy.worldM
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    1 year ago

    Just got an email about this from the Florida Office of the Surgeon General

    • Revan343
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      1 year ago

      Fortunately mRNA vaccines don’t affect (or effect) DNA, only RNA.

        • YeetPics@mander.xyz
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          1 year ago

          Now that you’ve erased your misinformed hot takes you should post a comment explaining how new information has enlightened you and you’ve changed your mind. You did learn something new, no?

        • rustydomino@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          The article you cite has NOTHING to do with RNA vaccines. It’s talking about mRNA processing, which is a natural process that already occurs in your cells. The article is talking about how this process is altered in cancer cells. It’s like saying water causes cancer.

        • dangblingus@lemmy.dbzer0.com
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          1 year ago

          That’s hardly at established fact. Merely the possibility that there could be a connection. It’s still wildly unprofessional and dangerous for the Surgeon General of Florida to talk out of his ass and make up propaganda that affects lives.

  • Lath@kbin.social
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    1 year ago

    He’s not wrong per say, it’s just that the level of danger increases or decreases depending on whose tail gets stepped on.

      • Lath@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        I rather believe the goal is to maximize the negative effects of the COVID vaccines as per his interests.

        • Fades@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          That doesn’t even make sense you fucking idiot. His goal by trying to get people to stop getting the vax is to maximize the negative effects of the vax?

          How the fuck would stopping people from getting it maximize the damage done by those that get it?

          It’s a miracle you even manage to draw breath you fucking imbecile

    • themeatbridge@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      He is wrong. Entirely wrong about everything. There is zero truth or accuracy to any statement made by the Surgeon General of Florida.

          • Lath@kbin.social
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            1 year ago

            I believe you are mostly correct. The vaccines are generally safe and his intentions are not for the general public’s interest. But, just like his special case exists, so do the circumstances in which the vaccines can be dangerous.
            Blindly saying he is completely wrong about everything when we can’t know that for sure is in itself wrong because we can’t be absolutely sure that he is, even though he may be.
            I think the word applied here is “semantics”.

    • drdiddlybadger@pawb.social
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      1 year ago

      He is wrong. There is no statistically significant risk of cancer from the vaccine vs any other thing youd be exposed to especially living in Florida.