Florida Surgeon General’s Controversial Statements on Vaccination
Joseph Ladapo, the surgeon general of Florida, is in the spotlight again for his controversial comments about health issues.
During a recent press conference, he discussed the measles outbreaks occurring in the state. While he acknowledged the importance of measles vaccination, he suggested that some students at a local Catholic university might be avoiding the vaccine due to its links to aborted fetal cells. This is a claim frequently promoted by those opposed to vaccinations.
“I’m not sure if there’s a connection between some students at this university choosing not to get the vaccine and the vaccine’s ties to abortion,” Ladapo stated, as reported by local media.
Debunking the Abortion Vaccine Claim
Measles is unfortunately re-emerging in the U.S., with at least 2,318 cases reported this year—exceeding last year’s numbers. It’s likely that the country has lost its measles-free status, indicating the virus is becoming endemic again.
Florida, with at least 141 reported cases this year, ranks as one of the states hit hardest by the outbreaks. Notably, many of these cases are linked to students at Ave Maria University, a Catholic institution in Collier County. Ladapo was attempting to provide explanations for these cases at the press conference.
“Some people might not realize that the measles vaccine is developed from cells derived from an aborted fetus,” he mentioned.
This assertion is misleading. The measles vaccine comes from a combination vaccine known as MMR, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. Importantly, no current vaccines—including MMR—contain fetal cells. The rubella component was developed using viruses grown in human cell cultures that originated from two aborted fetuses in the 1960s, but there have been no new fetal tissues used since then. Additionally, the purification process removes any remnants of these cell cultures from the final vaccine, meaning there are no leftover components from the aborted cells.
The Catholic Church acknowledges that while the ideal is to create vaccines without using fetal cell lines, it continues to support vaccines like MMR when alternatives aren’t available. In 2017, the Pontifical Academy for Life advised that families should vaccinate their children as recommended, assuring them that they can do so with a clear conscience.
A History of Controversy
While Ladapo has endorsed measles vaccination, he has also shown a tendency to support unscientific claims. Since becoming the state’s surgeon general in September 2021, he has often misrepresented vaccine safety, particularly regarding the COVID-19 vaccine, and expressed skepticism about the necessity of vaccine mandates.
His plans to remove all school vaccine mandates in Florida have sparked considerable controversy, even earning rebukes from notable figures like former President Donald Trump. To date, his proposals have struggled to gain traction.
Earlier this year, he controversially endorsed “structured water,” a concept popular among alternative medicine proponents but widely discredited.
