Ladapo calls for halt on COVID vaccines, citing a theory discredited by many
Escalating his controversial criticism of vaccine technology, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has called for a halt in administering mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, based on a theory that has been refuted repeatedly by global regulatory agencies and health organizations.
In a statement issued on his state department website on Wednesday, Ladapo repeated claims he made last month, first reported in the South Florida Sun Sentinel, that DNA fragments used in the development of the COVID-19 mRNA vaccine could integrate into human DNA, causing a range of side effects including cancer. He alleged that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has not adequately assessed these risks.
“If the risks of DNA integration have not been assessed for mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, these vaccines are not appropriate for use in human beings,” Ladapo said.
The problem with Ladapo’s claim — and his new call for a halt in use — is that there’s no evidence to suggest DNA integration is happening through the COVID19 mRNA vaccines or even that it could happen.
“It’s a theoretical possibility, but the chances of it happening are probably substantially less than of you winning the Powerball lottery two weekends in a row,” said Thomas Unnasch, emeritus distinguished professor at the University of South Florida College of Public Health. “There’s no evidence at all out there that this is actually happening, and there’s no basis mechanically for it to be able to happen.”
Over a billion shots have been administered worldwide, and there is no sign of the adverse effects, like increased cancer rates, that would be seen if the vaccines were somehow harming the human genome, said the director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research, Dr. Peter Marks, in a letter to Ladapo after he first brought up these concerns on Dec. 6.
The benefits of vaccines far outweigh the risks, Marks said, adding that the phenomenon Ladapo warned of is “implausible.”
“We would like to make clear that based on a thorough assessment of the entire manufacturing process, FDA is confident in the quality, safety, and effectiveness of the COVID-19 vaccines,” Marks wrote in a Dec. 14 reply to Ladapo. “With over a billion doses of the mRNA vaccines administered, no safety concerns related to residual DNA have been identified.”
Meanwhile, there is substantial evidence that vaccines protect against severe disease and death.
“The challenge we continue to face is the ongoing proliferation of misinformation and disinformation about these vaccines which results in vaccine hesitancy that lowers vaccine uptake,” Marks said. “Given the dramatic reduction in the risk of death, hospitalization and seri
ous illness afforded by the vaccines, lower vaccine uptake is contributing to the continued death and serious illness toll of COVID-19.”
Though Ladapo is the top public health official in the state, he does not regulate whether private companies offer vaccines in Florida. Appointments for the COVID-19 vaccine are available statewide at doctors’ offices and at major drugstores including CVS, Walgreens and Publix.
The newest iteration of COVID-19 vaccines from Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax, approved in September, are recommended by the CDC and other major health organizations for everyone 6 months and older.
This recommendation includes people who are unvaccinated and even people who were vaccinated before the new shots first became available on Sept. 12.
The new shots work much more effectively at preventing severe disease and death from the current virus strain than the ones that came before them. Immunity from prior infection and prior doses has also waned significantly over time, making it even more important to get vaccinated as COVID-19 cases spike nationwide.
Novavax’s shot is a traditional vaccine, whereas Pfizer’s and Moderna’s shots contain the mRNA technology that Ladapo rails against.
Ladapo had previously advising against the use of mRNA vaccines in specific age groups before making his expanded Wednesday recommendation, which urges a pause for everyone. mRNA is a technology that has been around for decades and has been used successfully in many other medical treatments.
Unlike traditional vaccines, which use weakened or dead versions of a virus, mRNA vaccines teach bodies to fight off the virus without actually exposing them to it.
Novavax’s vaccine was exempt from Ladapo’s Wednesday on criticism.