Florida GOP senators defend DeSantis’ surgeon general amid measles outbreak

TALLAHASSEE, Florida — In Florida, even measles is polarizing.

An outbreak in Broward County has split the state, as Republicans in the Capitol rally around the controversial state surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, who is taking a hands-off approach while Democrats accuse him of endangering children.

Ladapo, who rejected federal guidelines for Covid-19 vaccinations, sent a recent letter to parents at an elementary school in Broward County where six kids were infected with measles. In his letter, he advised parents that they should decide for themselves whether to vaccinate their kids or remove unvaccinated students from schools.

He did not follow federal recommendations to urge parents to vaccinate their children against measles or quarantine those who may have come in contact with the virus. People who have been vaccinated against measles have a very high protection rate.

Florida is one of 15 states that has had measles cases this year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in January warned health care workers to be on the lookout for infections after cases were reported in Washington, D.C., Pennsylvania and elsewhere. At the time, the CDC said the infections reflected a wider rise in measles cases throughout the world after countries postponed or missed administering the vaccine amid the Covid pandemic.

The measles cases in Florida were first detected about two weeks ago. The Florida Department of Health has fielded a total of 10 reports of measles infections so far, with nine infections involving children in Broward County and one adult case in Polk County. The Polk County case involved an adult who came to Florida from outside the U.S. and has since left the state.

The measles outbreak in Florida shows the further polarization of vaccines, one area that once had overwhelming consensus across political parties and throughout the U.S. The measles vaccine is especially effective in protecting against the virus and, according to the CDC, has led to a 99 percent decrease in the virus compared to the pre-vaccine era.

Ladapo’s comments drew sharp rebukes from the medical community and state Democrats who said he’s putting kids in danger. Democratic Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, whose district includes parts of Broward County, called on him to resign.

But top GOP senators in the GOP-led Legislature who confirmed Ladapo to be Florida’s top medical official are defending him based on his credentials but not engaging the issue at hand, saying lawmakers can’t withdraw confirmations and they approve of the work he’s done.

“As far as I can tell, he's been doing a great job, and we can't undo confirmations, so we're not going to go there,” said Republican Senate President Kathleen Passidomo Wednesday.

Five other GOP senators said they trusted that Ladapo — a Harvard-trained medical doctor and researcher who has long been skeptical of vaccines — has the credentials and experience to provide the right medical guidance for the state.

“He’s looking at everything and making his decisions,” GOP Sen. Travis Hutson said. “He’s obviously in the field and I’m not, so whatever decisions he makes, I stand by.”

Some Republican senators supporting Ladapo downplayed the measles cluster in South Florida, with one, Sen. Danny Burgess, telling POLITICO that he hadn’t heard about the surgeon general's response to the cases in Broward County. Another, GOP Sen. Blaise Ingoglia, a close ally of Gov. Ron DeSantis, said “calling a public emergency over six or nine people is very premature.”

Ladapo has faced backlash over his resistance to vaccines since DeSantis nominated him to be surgeon general two years ago. The medical community pushed back after Ladapo in 2022 warned young men against getting the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccines, claiming they could increase their chances of cardiac-related deaths. Last year, Ladapo also went against federal health agencies by warning people under 65 not to get the most recent Covid booster.

The CDC, Food and Drug Administration and others have said those vaccines and boosters are safe and effective.

DeSantis shares Ladapo’s skepticism of vaccines. At the governor’s request, the state Supreme Court convened a grand jury to investigate “crimes and wrongdoing” related to Covid vaccines, and DeSantis regularly questions the effectiveness of Covid shots. He’s also very supportive of Ladapo and brought his surgeon general with him on the campaign trail in New Hampshire while DeSantis was running for president.

Democratic Senate leader Lauren Book, whose district includes the Weston elementary school where at least six children are infected with measles, said that Ladapo has a habit of sidestepping science-based facts, endangering Floridians along the way.

“There is a highly contagious disease infecting children in my community, and for the surgeon general to be spreading disinformation instead of science-backed medical advice is downright dangerous,” Book said on Wednesday. “He is putting kids at risk for serious illness and should be removed from his position immediately before more damage is done.”

The Florida Department of Health, in defending Ladapo and the agency, on Wednesday provided more details into how it handled the outbreak after the surgeon general’s guidance alarmed parents, school officials and local leaders who worried Ladapo was not doing enough to stop the spread.

The department stated it recommends to the elementary school facing infections that people who are not vaccinated or have had measles previously should stay home for up to 21 days. That guidance is generally in line with established medical advice.

“This recommendation has been made at Manatee Bay Elementary,” the DOH statement said. It did not elaborate on why Ladapo initially gave different advice.

Sen. Shevrin Jones, a Miami-area Democrat, criticized the surgeon general’s overall measles response, saying Ladapo’s advice is based on politics and not medicine.

“How he’s moved and how he’s operated, he’s operating on politics,” Jones said. “And that is why he’s dangerous.”

CORRECTION: This report has been updated to clarify Sen. Danny Burgess' remarks.