Florida health director discourages use of mRNA Covid vaccines in older adults
Even as the Covid wave in Florida continues, Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is once again advising against the mRNA vaccines: this time in the most vulnerable residents.
In updated guidance for health care providers released Thursday, the Florida Health Department and state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo questioned the safety and effectiveness of the mRNA Covid vaccines from Pfizer and Moderna, including for older adults and people with underlying health problems. “Any provider concerned about the health risks associated with Covid-19 for patients over the age of 65 or with underlying health conditions should prioritize patient access to non-mRNA Covid-19 vaccines and treatment,” according to the state guidance.high rates of immunity from prior infections and “currently available data.”
Dr. Paul Offit, a vaccine expert at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said the Florida surgeon general's guidance is unnecessarily alarming people about the Covid vaccines.
"It's just such a dangerous game he plays," said Offit, who has served on the FDA's independent vaccine advisory committee. "You only have a roughly 1,000 times greater likelihood of dying [from Covid] if you're over 65 than if you're under 18."
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Florida's new COVID booster guidance called misinformation
In what has become a pattern of spreading vaccine misinformation, the Florida health department is telling older Floridians and others at highest risk from COVID-19 to avoid most booster shots, saying they are potentially dangerous.
Clinicians and scientists denounced the message as politically fueled scaremongering that also weakens efforts to protect against diseases like measles and whooping cough.
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