Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo marked the third anniversary of the pandemic in March by heaping praise on his boss, Gov. Ron DeSantis, for putting the “kibosh on vaccine mandates.” He then asserted that the mRNA COVID-19 vaccine “has a terrible safety profile.”

“At this point in the pandemic, I’m not sure anyone should be taking them,” he said.

This type of COVID rhetoric had helped the former University of California-Los Angeles associate professor catch the eye of the Florida governor with big political ambitions.

Since his appointment as Surgeon General in September 2021, Ladapo, 44, has made a reputation for himself as a prominent DeSantis ally for his stance against the COVID vaccine, masks, other pandemic containment measures, and gender-affirming care for transgender children.

[The sane among us in the state have nothing but the highest respect and thanks for this man and his courage in the face of absolutely withering fire personally and professionally. He is a good, GOOD man. ~ Beege]