Joseph Ladapo
Joseph Abiodun Ladapo (born December 16, 1978) is the surgeon general of Florida since 2021. He has attracted attention for promoting vaccine hesitancy and opposing various measures to control COVID-19.
Joe Ladapo | |
|---|---|
| Surgeon General of Florida | |
| Assumed office September 21, 2021 | |
| Governor | Ron DeSantis |
| Preceded by | Scott Rivkees |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Joseph Abiodun Ladapo December 16, 1978 Nigeria |
| Education | Wake Forest University (BA) Harvard University (MD, PhD) |
After immigrating to the United States from Nigeria, Ladapo earned an M.D. and a Ph.D. in Health Policy from Harvard University. He served as a professor of medicine at New York University before being tenured at the University of California, Los Angeles, prior to his appointment to his current position by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Ladapo promoted unproven treatments, opposed vaccine and mask mandates, questioned the safety of COVID-19 vaccines, and contradicted professional medical organizations. The CDC and FDA said he had promoted misinformation.
Ladapo has opposed gender-affirming care and counseling for transgender and nonbinary minors.