"Healthy Children Do Not Need COVID-19 Vaccination"… Recommendation from Florida, USA

Direct Confrontation with Federal Government Guidelines

People are lined up in front of a COVID-19 vaccination site in Florida, USA. / Photo by AP Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Na Ye-eun] The state of Florida in the United States has decided to recommend that healthy children should not receive the COVID-19 vaccine. This recommendation conflicts with the guidelines previously announced by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

According to CNN, Joseph Ladapo, Florida's Surgeon General, announced on the 7th (local time) that the state health department has established this recommendation policy. He also stated that a separate guideline urging parents not to vaccinate their children will be released.

Surgeon General Ladapo highlighted research findings showing that the COVID-19 infection rate among children is lower than that of adults, and that the vaccine's protection against the coronavirus is limited and rapidly wanes.

However, the U.S. CDC has recommended vaccination since the emergency use authorization of the COVID-19 vaccine for children aged 5 to 11 was approved last November.

Since taking office, Surgeon General Ladapo has repeatedly expressed opinions that diverge from scientific consensus regarding vaccines, masks, and other preventive measures, and has recommended unproven treatments such as ivermectin, an animal dewormer, and hydroxychloroquine, a malaria treatment, as COVID-19 therapies.

Last month, he refused to state his position on COVID-19 vaccination during a hearing and did not answer questions about vaccine efficacy.

Meanwhile, White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said at a White House press briefing on the same day in response to questions about Florida's move, "(The COVID-19 vaccine) is the best tool to prevent teenagers from being hospitalized," and added, "It is very concerning that politicians are spreading conspiracy theories and casting doubt on vaccination."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.