Governor DeSantis and Dr. Ladapo Shoot Blanks, Again, as University of Florida Faculty Say Ladapo's Research Was Seriously Flawed

Ladapo Said Young Men May Suffer Cardiac Conditions by Taking Covid Vaccines

Governor DeSantis, the GOP wonder boy and expected presidential candidate, has struck out again. His hand picked Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, a Covid Vaccine skeptic, had issued a research report claiming that young men below age 40 should not take the mRNA Covid Vaccines of Moderna and Pfizer, claiming that these vaccines could cause heart conditions in young men and could lead to their deaths.

Dr. Ladapo’s research was part of the basis of DeSantis’ recent Petition to the Florida Supreme Court to Impanel a Grand Jury to investigate and prosecute supposed criminal fraud by the manufacturers, distributors, and promoters of the Pfizer and Moderna Covid Vaccines. DeSantis cited Ladapo’s research and claimed that Moderna and Pfizer were not warning young men to avoid the Covid Vaccines. DeSantis went further and claimed in his Petition that the Pharma manufacturers were withholding Dr. Ladapo’s research conclusions so as not to reduce their vaccine revenue.

In other words, Governor DeSantis was saying that unless Moderna and Pfizer agree with his Surgeon General, Dr. Ladapo, and warn young men against taking the Covid vaccines, they are guilty of criminal fraud by not disclosing this critical information. But now the Medical School Faculty Task Force at the University of Florida have issued a report that Dr. Ladapo’s conclusions were erroneous and were based on seriously flawed research.

The Washington Post reported the news as a rebuke to Dr. Ladapo:

Joseph A. Ladapo, a professor of medicine at the University of Florida and the state's surgeon general, relied upon a flawed analysis and may have violated university research integrity rules when he issued guidance last fall discouraging young men from receiving common coronavirus vaccines, according to a report from a medical school faculty task force. …

Ladapo recommended in October that men younger than 40 not take mRNA vaccinations for covid, pointing to an "abnormally high risk of cardiac-related death." Doctors and public health officials swiftly pounced, dismissing the underlying research for its small sample size, lack of detail and shaky methodology.

In its new report, a task force of the University of Florida College of Medicine's Faculty Council cites numerous deficiencies in the analysis Ladapo used to justify his vaccine recommendation. A summary said the work was "seriously flawed." The report's authors say Ladapo engaged in "careless, irregular, or contentious research practices."

The Tallahassee Democrat said the following about Dr. Ladapo’s research:

The task force critique by his own colleagues at UF found that Ladapo committed "reporting bias by cherry picking results; focusing only on evidence that supports his stance, ignoring contradicting evidence and failing to appropriately acknowledge the limitations of his own data set."

The panel also said Ladapo's research is flawed because it "forms conclusions on the basis of exceptionally small event rates that distort magnitude of risk and do not consider magnitude of benefit."

Ladapo in October issued Florida Health Department guidance advising males age 18 through 39 to avoid COVID-19 mRNA vaccines - commonly the widely-used Pfizer and Moderna shots.

The Tampa Bay Times had this to say about the Medical School’s Task Force Report:

Ladapo, the state's surgeon general and a professor in the College of Medicine, recommended in October against mRNA COVID-19 vaccines for men ages 18-39. The recommendation stemmed from a state Department of Health study that talked about the health risks of the vaccines for men in that age group. Ladapo is the head of the state health department.

The seven-page report authored by a committee of College of Medicine professors echoed many of the criticisms raised by scientists across the country about the state's study and recommendation. But while it said the policy and research were of highly questionable merit, it did not conclude there was any research misconduct.

So, the University of Florida Medical School shot down part of the basis for DeSantis’ Petition to the Florida Supreme Court to investigate the criminal fraud he claimed was being perpetrated by the CDC, FDA, Moderna and Pfizer, among others.

The Florida Supreme Court should reconsider its Order Impaneling the Covid Vaccine Grand Jury as part of DeSantis basis for claiming a need for a Grand Jury has now been completely undermined and proven false.

So, in today’s Authoritarian DeSantis Florida, the Governor strikes out once again.