The Florida Department of Health (DOH) and the State Surgeon General of Florida Joseph A. Ladapo, MD, PhD announced that the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) showed a significant increase in reports of COVID-19 vaccine adverse reactions in Florida in the years since the introduction of COVID biologics.
According to the DOH, since the roll out of COVID shots in early 2021, there has been a 400 percent increase in total number of doses of vaccines administered in Florida but also an increase of 1,700 percent in total number of VAERS reports from Florida during this same time period. Reports to VAERS of COVID-vaccine associated life-threatening conditions in Florida increased over 4,400 percent.2 A spokesperson for the Florida DOH confirmed that percentages were calculated based on all vaccine adverse event reports in VAERS.3
Dr. Ladapo expressed concerns regarding the safety of the COVID shots based on the increase in adverse events reported to VAERS from the state compared to the percent increase in vaccine use.4 A statement issued by the DOH read:
This is a novel increase and was not seen during the 2009 H1N1 vaccination campaign. There is a need for additional unbiased research to better understand the COVID-19 vaccines’ short- and long-term effects.5
Florida Surgeon General Writes Letter of Concern Over Safety of COVID Shots to FDA and CDC
In light of the significant increase in reports of vaccine adverse events reported to VAERS from Florida residents, Dr. Ladapo wrote a letter to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) warning of the risk of the messenger RNA (mRNA) COVID shots.6
Dr. Ladapo wrote:
In addition to Florida’s analysis of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, academic researchers throughout our country and around the globe have seen troubling safety signals of adverse events surrounding this vaccine. Their concerns are corroborated by the substantial increase in VAERS reports from Florida, including life-threatening conditions. We have never seen this type of response following previous mass vaccination efforts pushed by the federal government. Even the HINI vaccine did not trigger this sort of response.7
He added:
Communication between physicians and patients is a standard ethical practice that is fundamental to public health. 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.7
In response to Dr. Ladapo’s letter, a spokesperson for the FDA stated that the U.S. federal government has observed an increase in COVID shot VAERS reports across the country; however, he attributed the increase to greater public awareness about COVID-19 vaccines. In a written statement, the FDA spokesperson said:
COVID-19 vaccines have undergone—and continue to undergo—the most intense vaccine safety monitoring in U.S. history. Clinical research has demonstrated the safety and effectiveness of the recommended COVID-19 primary series vaccines, as well as the recommended updated vaccines.8
William Schaffner, MD an infectious disease physician at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Tennessee and a liaison to CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), said Dr. Ladapo’s letter displays a misunderstanding of the VAERS data should be used. He stated:
Just looking at numbers of reports I think is interesting, but it’s only the start of analyzing submissions. You don’t draw conclusions from that. That’s actually a misuse of VAERS data. All you know is that you have two coincidental events.9
Studies Show Risks Associated with mRNA COVID Shots
In a 2022 study published in the journal Vaccine, researchers found that mRNA COVID shots were associated with an excess risk of serious adverse events including coagulation disorders, myocarditis, pericarditis, acute cardiac injuries, Bell’s palsy, encephalitis and acute kidney injury. The study found that this risk was 1 in 550 people.10
Findings from a study published in Science Reports in 2022 raised concerns regarding mRNA shot-induced severe cardiovascular side-effects and reinforces the already established causal relationship between mRNA shots and myocarditis, which is a known cause of unexpected cardiac arrest in young people.11
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Click here to view References:
1 Eng M. Florida health department: Reports of vaccine adverse events up 1,700% since COVID vax. Orange Observer News Feb. 16, 2023.
2 Florida Department of Health. Health Alert on mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Safety. Feb. 15, 2023.
3 Ogozalek S, Wilson K. Florida surgeon general, again questioning COVID vaccines, sends letter to CDC, FDA. Tampa Bay Times Feb. 17, 2023.
4 Florida Department of Health. Surgeon General Letter to the FDA and CDC. Feb. 15, 2023.
5 Florida Department of Health. Health Alert on mRNA COVID-19 Vaccine Safety. Feb. 15, 2023.
6 Florida Department of Health. Surgeon General Letter to the FDA and CDC. Feb. 15, 2023.
7 Ibid.
8 Ogozalek S, Wilson K. Florida surgeon general, again questioning COVID vaccines, sends letter to CDC, FDA. Tampa Bay Times Feb. 17, 2023.
9 Ibid.
10 Fraiman J, Erviti J, Jones M, Greenland S, Whelan P, Kaplan RM, Doshi P. Serious adverse events of special interest following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination in randomized trials in adults. Vaccine 2022; 40(40): 5798-5805.
11 Sun CLF, Jaffe E, Levi R. Increased emergency cardiovascular events among under-40 population in Israel during vaccine rollout and third COVID-19 wave. Science Reports. 2022; 12(1): 6978.
Source: Florida Reports 1,700 Percent Increase in Vaccine Adverse…