Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, a well known vaccine skeptic, is reportedly being considered for the position of United States Secretary of Health and Human Services in a potential Donald Trump administration.
Ladapo, who was appointed by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) in 2022, is being recommended for the position by Robert F. Kennedy Jr, another prominent antivaxxer who is working on Trump’s transition team. RFK Jr has said the former president promised him “control” of health agencies if he returns to the White House.
“We are still talking to people and he is among the people we are talking to,” RFK Jr confirmed to ABC News.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ladapo repeatedly questioned the effectiveness of the vaccines, which were developed under the Trump administration. He also defied guidelines from the CDC and the American Academy of Pediatrics regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
In 2022, Ladapo advised men between 18 and 30 years old against taking the COVID-19 vaccine following a state-driven study suggesting that some doses pose a significantly higher health risk for young men than had been reported from previous studies.
However, it was later reported that Ladapo personally altered the data to achieve that result to bolster his false claim that the COVID-19 vaccine was dangerous to young men.
Earlier this year, Ladapo also rejected proven public health policies during a measles outbreak in Florida. He failed to encourage parents to vaccinate their child against the contagious but preventable disease and keep unvaccinated children at home.
All this qualifies him to lead the federal agency responsible for public health protection according to RFK Jr.
“He was willing to question some of the government orthodoxies to not close the schools, to not force people to wear masks, to look actually at the safety data from the vaccines, rather than just accept the words that vaccines are safe and effective,” he said.
