Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo speaks during a press conference at the University of Miami Health System Don Soffer Clinical Research Center in Miami, Fla., on May 17, 2022. (Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Florida’s top health official has raised alarm on adverse side effects of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, calling on the federal government to be more transparent when it comes to the risks stemming from the jabs.
In an alert issued Wednesday, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo said it’s in the public’s best interest that they know there has been a dramatic increase in Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) filings from Florida following the COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
“In Florida alone, there was a 1,700 percent increase in VAERS reports after the release of the COVID-19 vaccine, compared to an increase of 400 percent in overall vaccine administration for the same time period,” the message stated. “The reporting of life-threatening conditions increased over 4,400 percent.”
Data show a substantial increase in Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) reports from Florida after the COVID-19 vaccine rollout. (Florida Department of Health)
“This is a novel increase and was not seen during the 2009 H1N1 vaccination campaign,” it continued.
Although the mRNA technology was available in 2009, it would take until 2013 for scientists to conduct the first human trial to test mRNA vaccines against a virus. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), all H1N1 influenza vaccines issued in the United States in 2009 were protein-based shots produced using embryonated hen’s eggs. This protein-based vaccine technology has been around since World War II and has been thoroughly tested, whereas mRNA vaccine technology is still novel.
Studies Uncover Risks
The unprecedented increase in VAERS reports in Florida is consistent with what has so far been revealed by scientific studies, according to Ladapo.
The Florida surgeon general cited three studies. In the first study, published online in August 2022 in the journal Vaccine, scientists conducted a randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial on adults and found that the mRNA vaccines were associated with an “excess risk” of serious adverse events like coagulation disorders, acute cardiac injuries, Bell’s palsy, and encephalitis. The overall risk was 12.5 per 10,000, or one in 550 vaccinated individuals.
Another study, published in April 2022 in Scientific Reports, showed a correlation between a 25 percent rise in acute cardiac events emergency calls among young, healthy Israelis in early 2021 and the country’s extensive mRNA vaccination efforts.
In the third study, scientists examined data from hospitals in Norway, Finland, and Denmark to assess the risk of thromboembolic and thrombocytopenic events related to mRNA and viral vector-based COVID-19 vaccines, such as the Johnson & Johnson and AstraZeneca vaccines. Their findings, published online in June 2022 in JAMA Network Open, suggested increased rates of both coronary diseases following mRNA vaccination, although the increases were less than the rates observed after viral vector vaccination (AstraZeneca).
Ladapo also pointed out that in January, one of the CDC’s monitoring systems detected a preliminary safety signal for stroke in people aged 65 and older who simultaneously took COVID boosters and flu shots. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) later declared (pdf) that it conducted a review but didn’t find an increased stroke risk.
Nonetheless, Ladapo argued that there is indeed a need for further investigations into the safety of all mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
A Call for Transparency
Wednesday’s alert comes after Ladapo sent a letter to the CDC and FDA, asking the federal agencies to promote open and accurate communication with the public regarding the risks the mRNA vaccines may pose.
“To claim these vaccines are ’safe and effective' while minimizing and disregarding the adverse events is unconscionable,” he wrote.
“Communication between physicians and patients is a standard ethical practice that is fundamental to public health,” he added. “Health care professionals should have the ability to accurately communicate the risks and benefits of a medical intervention to their patients without fear of retaliation by the federal government.”
In the meantime, Ladapo said his state will continue to evaluate the safety and efficacy of medications, including mRNA COVID-19 vaccines.
The Epoch Times has reached out to the CDC and FDA for comments.
