>> AFTER MONTHS OF TROAFERS AND WEEKS OF SCRUTINY FLORIDA SURGEON GENERAL NOMINEE JOSEPH
LAPADOS WITH CONFIRMED IN A
CONTENTIOUS PEAR HEARING.
>> CON SPIR EASE THEORIES OVER
WIDELY ACCEPTED PUBLIC HEALTH
PRACTICES AND SCIENCE.
>> IN THE MIDDLE OF A PANDEMIC,
DR. LAPADO SAID NOT ONE WORD
ABOUT COVID, ABOUT VACCINE.
>> AND WE CAN’T HAVE THE THIRD
LARGEST STATE IN THE COUNTRY’S
TOP DOCTOR BEING A YES MAN TO A
POLITICIAN.
>> AFTER THAT, IN HIS FIRST
ONE-ON-ONE INTERVIEW IT’S WITH
US, THE DOCTOR PUSHES BACK ON
CRITICS, DEFENDS HIS DATA AND
HIS DECISIONS WHEN WE SAT DOWN
TO TALK WITH HIM IN TALLAHASSEE
THIS WEEK.
>>-- SAID THEY CALLED IT AN
UNMITIGATED DISASTER.
>> I DONE REMEMBER HEARING THAT.
>> WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?
>> I THINK THAT FOR ME POLITICS
IS NEW.
SO AND I’VE LEARNED A LOT.
I HAVE RECEIVED A VERY
RAPID-- EDUCATION OVER THE PAST
FEW MONTHSES.
SO YOU KNOW, DO I ENJOY PEOPLE
NOT SAYING VERY NICE THINGS
ABOUT ME?
NO, I DON’T ENJOY SHALL-- ENJOY
THAT.
DO PEOPLE HAVE A RIGHT TO HAVE
THEIR OPINIONS?
ABSOLUTELY.
AND IS MY ROLE HERE SOMETHING
THAT IS GOING TO CHANGE IN
TERMSES OF MY PRIORITIES BECAUSE
SOMEONE DOESN’T LIKE ME OR
THINKS THAT I AM THE WORST
PERSON EVER, THAT YOU KNOW, AND
DIDN’T EVEN GO TO SCHOOL AND
HAVE NO EDUCATION AND TRAINING,
NO, THAT IS NOT GOING IT TO
CHANGE.
>> I THINK IT WAS SENATOR PIZZO
WHO SAID THE OPTICS ARE NOT
VERBATIM, BUT I REMEMBER, HE
SAID THE OPTICS ARE THAT YOU ARE
A YES MAN TO THE GOVERNOR, DO
YOU REMEMBER HIM SAYING THAT?
>> YES, I DO.
>> ARE YOU?
>> WELL, I LIKE GOVERNOR
DESANTIS QUITE A LOT.
I REALLY ADMIRE HIM.
HAVE I GREAT ADMIRATION FOR HIM
AND I’M VERY GRATEFUL THAT HE IS
HERE.
BECAUSE NO ONE ELSE AROUND THE
COUNTRY, THERE HAS NOT BEEN ANY
OTHER LEADER THAT HAS HAD SUCH
CLARITY DURING A PERIOD OF TIME
WHEN THERE HAS BEEN SO MUCH
CONFUSION AND IN FACT MASS
CONFUSION.
>> SO THE QUESTION IS.
>> I’M GETTING THERE, I’M
GETTING THERE.
SO I VERY MUCH LIKE HIM.
YES, MAN.
NO, I’M NOT--S THAT’S JUST-- I
MEAN I THINK I WOULDN’T EVEN BE
WHERE I AM RIGHT NOW IF I AM A
YES MAN.
IN FACT, HAVE I TAKEN POSITIONS
BASED ON WHAT I THOUGHT WAS THE
TRUTH OR MORE ACCURATE THAN WHAT
THE GENERAL-- WHAT MY COLLEAGUES
WERE OFTEN SAYING.
AND IT IT HAS NOT BEEN, THAT
HASN’T BEEN A FREE RIDE.
I’M NOT REALLY SURE WHAT TO MAKE
OF IT.
BETWEEN THE POLITICS AND-- I
JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT IT IS LIKE
SINCERE, WHAT’S NOT.
AND OF COURSE PEOPLE ARE WELCOME
TO HAVE THEIR OPINIONS.
THE ONE PIECE THAT I HAVE NOT
BEEN FOND OF IS WHEN PEOPLE MAKE
STUFF UP.
SO I WAS-- I DIDN’T LIKE IT WHEN
PEOPLE SAID THAT I DIDN’T TAKE
CARE OF PATIENTS WITH COVID.
BECAUSE IT’S FACTUALLY
INCORRECT.
I TOOK CARE OF PATIENTS WITH
COVID.
AND THEN SORT OF, SO THAT
BOTHERED ME BECAUSE IT’S
FACTUALLY INCORRECT.
>> SAME THING WITH-- HE HAS NO
EXPERIENCE, PEOPLE RECREATING
WHO I AM.
>> YOU ARE THE GOVERNOR’S
APPOINTEE.
HE APPOINTED YOU FOR A REASON.
HE AGREES WITH WHAT YOU ARE
ABOUT.
YOU AGREE WITH WHAT HE IS ABOUT.
DO YOU, WOULD YOU BE COMFORTABLE
IF HE CAME TO YOU AND SAID DR. I
LIKE OUR ADD P TO GO IN THIS
DIRECTION, WOULD YOU BE
COMFORTABLE IF YOU OPPOSED HIS
IDEAS TELLING HIM SO?
>> ABSOLUTELY.
AND IN FACT IF I DON’T SEE AN
ISSUE THE SAME WAY I WOULD TELL
HIM I WON’T FOR ANY REASON
COMPROMISE WHAT I BELIEVE TO BE
TRUE OR ACCURATE OR
REPRESENTATIVE OF SCIENTIFIC
DATA.
>> YOU DURING YOUR CONVERSATION
HEARING THEY ASK YOU SOME PRETTY
POINTED QUESTIONS.
DO YOU THINK VACCINATIONS ARE
AFFECT SNIFF.
>> THEY ACCUSED YOU OF NOT
ANSWERING THOSE QUESTIONS.
ARE VACCINATION FOR COVID
AFFECTIVE.
>> WE ARE RUNNING INTO THE SAME
PROBLEM THAT WE KIND OF-- I RAN
INTO THAT DAY WHICH IS THAT
THERE HAS BEEN, THE POLITICAL
ASPECT OF THIS PANDEMIC HAS MADE
IT HARD TO SEPARATE SOMETHING
THAT IS A SCIENTIFIC QUESTION
WHICH IS HOW EFFECTIVE IS, YOU
KNOW, WHATEVER MEDICATION OR
WHATEVER THERAPY FOR ANY-- FOR A
SPECIFIC OUTCOME FROM THIS IDEA
THAT YOU KNOW, DOES THIS WORK.
DOES THIS WORK IS REALLY A
POLITICAL QUESTION.
THE SCIENTIFIC QUESTION IS ABOUT
SPECIFIC CLINICAL OUTCOMES.
>> SO IF THE QUESTION, WOULD MY
BETTER QUESTION BE DR. LADAPO,
HERE IS MY MEDICAL BACKGROUND,
HERE IS WHO I AM, HERE IS MY
CHART, WOULD A VACCINATION WORK
FOR ME, IS THAT THE QUESTION?
>> THAT IS ACTUALLY A REALLY
GREAT CLINICAL QUESTION, THAT IS
THE KIND OF QUESTION THAT A
PATIENT WOULD ASK MY.
AT A HEARING I FELT A NEED TO BE
VERY PRECISE ABOUT THE WORDS I
USE.
SO YOU KNOW, BASICALLY WHAT I
SAID THEN IS KIND OF, IS WHAT
HAS BEEN SUPPORTED BY THE
SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE WHICH IS
LIKE NATURAL IMMUNITY, THEY ARE
EFFECTIVE AT REDUCING THE
LIKELIHOOD THAT SOMEONE BECOMES
SEVERE LeILL FROM COVID-19.
>> IF THAT’S THE CASE, WHY NOT
DO MUCH MORE TO PROMOTE VACCINES
AMONG THOSE WHO HAVE BEEN
VACCINE HESITANT.
>> THAT IS A GOOD QUESTION.
SO I THINK THAT ONE OF THE
THINGS THAT WE HAVE LOST SIGHT
OF DURING THIS PANDEMIC AND
REALLY FAR IN THE REARVIEW
MIRROR IS CHOICE.
AND THIS IS ACTUALLY BEEN A
CORNER STONE OF PUBLIC HEAL.
WHAT WE HAVE SEEB INSTEAD IS
COERCION AND THERE HAS BEEN
PLENTY OF COERCION.
THE, SORT OF BECOMING A PART OF
KIND OF THIS VOICE THAT WANTS TO
KEEP TELLING PEOPLE THAT SUCH
AND SUCH WORKSES AND THEREFORE
YOU HAVE TO TAKE IT.
AND THEREFORE I’M JUSTIFIED IN
DENYING YOU EMPLOYMENT, OR
DENYING YOU ACCESS TO EATING IN
A RESTAURANT OR DENYING YOU
EDUCATION BECAUSE THIS WORKS.
I THINK THAT’S IMMORAL AND I’M
JUST NOT EVER GOING TO BE A PART
OF THAT.
>> SO YOUR OFFICE PUT OUT A
WHOLE NEW SET OF TSA’S THAT
CHANGED WHAT WAS A VERY
VACCINE-ORIENTED PSA MESSAGING
TO A MUCH MORE HOLISTIC CHOICE
ON THE TABLE KIND OF MESSAGING.
WAS THAT BY DESIGN AND WHY?
>> YOU KNOW T WAS BY DESIGN.
AND IT’S BECAUSE THEY’RE A
COMPONENT OF HEALTH BUT THEY’RE
NOT ALL THERE IS TOO HEALTH.
THINK ABOUT THE FACT THAT WE HAD
TWO YEARS NOW AND HOW OFTEN HAVE
PEOPLE LIKE DR. FAUCI SAID
ANYTHING ABOUT OTHER THINGS THAT
ARE ENORMOUS CONTRIBUTORS TO
HEALTH.
SO THINGS LIKE OBESITY.
THAT’S A VERY SUBSTANTIAL
CONTRIBUTOR TO HOW WELL YOUR
IMMUNE SYSTEM WORKS.
THAT IS REALLY IMPORTANT, YOU
KNOW, AND IT IS IMPORTANT FOR
OTHER THINGS LIKE CANCER AND
HEART DISEASE.
SO HOLISTIC HEALTH IS ABSOLUTELY
THE MESSAGE.
>> HOW MUCH PRESSURE DO YOU FEEL
IF ANY TO MATCH THE POLITICS AND
BE POLITICALLY CORRECT.
>> I DON’T FEEL MUCH PRESSURE.
I MEAN A FEEL A LITTLE BIT OF
PRESSURE, SOME THINGS ARE JUST
ABJECTLY POLITICAL, FOR EXAMPLE
THE MONDAY O CLONAL ANTIBODY
DISPUTE WES HAD WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
>> WHERE ARE WE IN THAT SUPPLY
CHAIN ISSUE NOW?
>> WELL, WE DO HAVE STILL
MONOCLONALS COMING TO FLORIDA.
WE HAVE TO WORK WITH THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT IT TO GET THEM HERE.
>> HOW IS THAT WORKING WITH THE
FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, REALLY.
>> IT IS FINE.
YOU KNOW, IT’S FINE.
>> YOU PRESENTED YOURSELF AS A
DOCTOR WHO CHALLENGESES THE
NARRATIVE, WHO IS NOT GOING TO
GO ALONG WITH WHAT EVERYONE ELSE
SAYS.
YOU ARE A RESEARCHER.
AND PEOPLE HAVE USED THAT
AGAINST YOU.
>> WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT THAT.
>> I DON’T KNOW.
I THINK I’M NOT SURE REALLY WHAT
IT TO MAKE OF THAT.
AND IT’S NOT SO MUCH, I DON’T
SET OUT TO CHALLENGE THE
NARRATIVE.
I JUST SET OUT TO BE AS HONEST
AS POSSIBLE.
WE’VE TRULY HAD JUST A LACK OF
DISHONESTY.
THE MATHS ARE A GREAT EXAMPLE--
PARDON ME, THE A LACK
OF HONESTY.
THE MAPS ARE A-- WE HAVE TESTED
THEM THERE HAVE BEEN MANY, MANY,
MANY CLINICAL TRIALS AND THEY
JUST MOST OF THEM DON’T REALLY
SHOW A BENEFIT.
AND THAT’S JUST THE TRUTH.
SO THIS 180 DEGREE SHIFT THAT
YOU KNOW, HEY F EVERYONE WEARS
THESE, THE PANDEMIC WILL BE OVER
AND YOU WILL BE PROTECTED.
I MEAN THAT’S AN JEKLY IN
CONFLICT WITH WHAT THE
SCIENTIFIC LITERATURE SHOWS.
>> WITH WHAT ABOUT EVERYTHING
ELSE HEALTH RELATED IN FLORIDA.
>> WE HAVE FUN INITIATIVES THAT
ARE TARGETING ALL OF THOSE AREAS
THAT YOU MENTIONED.
THEY ARE SORT OF STILL IN THE
WORKS SO I DON’T WANT TO REVEAL
TOO MUCH, WE HAVE-- SO YOU KNOW
WE HAVE SOME INITIATIVES RELATED
IT TO THE OPIOID CRISIS TO
BETTER CONNECT PEOPLE WHO ARE
ADDICTED TO TREATMENT.
WE HAVE SOME NEW I NICH TIFFS
RELATED TO SMOCKING CESSATION TO
REALLY AMPLIFY THE USE OF OUR
EVIDENCE-BASED SMOKING CESSATION
RESOURCES AND WE HAVE SOME
REALLY FUN INITIATIVES WE’RE
WORKING ON WE LATED TO O
OBESITY.
SO THAT IS IN DEVELOPMENT AND I