Florida's mRNA warning, aftershocks
Yes, Denmark did the same thing a few months ago. And Sweden. And Norway. Reflective intro added April 4, 2023 in italics
April 4, 2023. In recent weeks, Australia, the United Kingdom, and Canada have issued updated guidance which de-emphasizes the use of mRNA vaccines in children and adolescents.
It has been one week since Dr Joseph Ladapo MD PhD, surgeon general for the State of Florida, announced that his office was recommending against the use of mRNA covid vaccines for men less than 40 years of age.
While this is hardly novel on the world scene - several Scandinavian nations having taken the same steps weeks to months ago - this is the first occurrence in North America.
The story has yet to be written about the interdependency of the pharmaceutical industry and its top consumer market of the entire planet - the United States.
Given the rather pharmaceutically-intensive nature of American healthcare, it is likely that the pressures on US health officials to align with the interests of the pharmaceutical industry are significant.
As such, Florida’s initiative, while occurring later than was the case in Denmark, Norway, and Sweden, is highly significant.
What has the reaction of the factcheckers?
Factcheck.org - an organization linked to the University of Pittsburgh and generally regarded as being free of political bias- posted on October 13th - 6 days after the initial press conference on the matter - and referenced these experts: biostatisticians Jeffery R. Morris, Paddy Farrington, HHS executive Sarah Lovenheim, economist David Cutler, and a resident in emergency medicine. The article focuses on the methodology of the Florida study that Dr. Ladapo references in setting Florida policy.
A respectable number of legacy media outlets have carried the Florida story - Newsweek, Forbes, Miami Herald, Washington post. There is also a sideshow with Twitter initially blocking some of Dr. Ladapo’s tweets on the matter.
One notable omission of both this factcheck and Dr. Ladapo’s press conference and announcement from October 7th is that both appear to be unaware that the same decision to restrict mRNA covid vaccines on the parts of Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. This Danish article from February 2022 mentions that while Denmark is preparing to suspend covid vaccinations for children less than 11 years of age, Sweden and Norway do not vaccinate this age group. This US article from April 2022 mentions the suspension of the covid vaccination program in Denmark. This Israeli article from September 2022 pegs the endpoint of covid vaccination in Denmark for both men and women under the age of 50 as occurring in September.
While Denmark has gone the furthest in restricting covid vaccines, Sweden, Norway, and Finland all restricted the use of Moderna vaccines for males under 30 last October.
In other words, while Florida is leading the way in North America, it is several months behind Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. Dr. Ladapo might want to confer with the folks in Denmark if he is looking for further confirmation of his decision.