“This is the first time that we’ve seen a state government weaponize bad science to spread anti-vaccine disinformation as official policy,” wrote David Gorski, a surgical oncologist and veteran debunker of anti-vaccine balderdash. Gorski identified Florida’s action as “a dangerous new escalation in anti-vaccine propaganda.”

Ladapo’s recommendation has less to do with any effort to apply science to vaccine policy than with his well-documented practice of applying politics to health policy — specifically, the politics of Florida’s Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis, Ladapo’s patron. It exploits the inability of laypersons to understand the fine points of scientific research, especially when it has become the subject of political grandstanding.

As I reported earlier, Ladapo has questioned the safety of COVID vaccines, despite overwhelming evidence that they are safe and effective. He has touted the antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine and the anti-parasitic drug ivermectin as treatments for COVID-19, despite the lack of any evidence that they serve that purpose.

Source: Hiltzik: Florida is hazardous to your health – Los Angeles Times