On October 7, 2022, the Florida Department of Health released an advisory and recommended against the use of COVID messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines, especially for 18-39 years old males. It was further advised by the Florida Department of Health experts that patients having heart-related issues must consult their healthcare providers before taking mRNA COVID vaccines. The advisory was issued following an analysis conducted by a self-controlled case series, which is a technique developed to assess the safety of vaccines.
Surgeon of Florida General Dr. Joseph A Lapado tweeted, “Today, we released an analysis on COVID-19 mRNA vaccines the public needs to be aware of. This analysis showed an increased risk of cardiac-related death among men 18-39. FL(orida) will not be silent on the truth.” He added, “Studying the safety and efficacy of any medications, including vaccines, is an important component of public health.” He further said, “Far less attention has been paid to safety, and the concerns of many individuals have been dismissed – these are important findings that should be communicated to Floridians.”
On October 9, his tweet was taken down by Twitter for “violating the Twitter rules”. However, now the tweet has been restored.
The press release from the Florida Department of Health reads, “This studied mortality risk following mRNA COVID-19 vaccination. This analysis found there is an 84% increase in the relative incidence of cardiac-related death among males 18-39 years old within 28 days following mRNA vaccination. Individuals with preexisting cardiac conditions, such as myocarditis and pericarditis, should take particular caution when considering vaccination and discuss with their health care provider.”
Messenger RNA (mRNA) technology uses genetically engineered mRNA to give cells instructions on how to make the S protein, which is found on the surface of the COVID-19 virus. Moderna and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccines use mRNA technology. GEMCOVAC-19, India’s first mRNA COVID-19 vaccine, is still under trial and is expected to be made available to the public soon.
The study notes that a higher risk of cardiac-related deaths was found, but the data itself was primary and “should be interpreted with caution”. Furthermore, it states, “This study cannot determine the causative nature of a participant’s death. We used death certificate data and not medical records. COVID testing status was unknown for those who did not die of/with COVID.”