Now, Ward is creating new controversy in the state’s medical community after appearing at several events alongside Republican Governor Ron DeSantis.
Ward’s view is consistent with DeSantis’ view on Covid.Florida governor has built a national reputation for refusing his Covid-19 orders like wearing masks Student and vaccination childrenJoe Radapo, DeSantis’ Chief Surgeon, also spoke about vaccine safety and warn men I am taking Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna Covid-19 vaccine.
DeSantis has used opposition to Covid-19 restrictions and advocacy for “free speech” on health care as central pillars of his messaging strategy, an issue that could affect the chances of a 2024 presidential election. may give Republicans have turned to Ward several times as a validator of his position.
Ward does not hold an official position within DeSantis’ administration and has not advised the governor in an official capacity. . This is not a medical profession.
At a press conference in March, DeSantis presented doctors as “one of the driving forces” in a movement to allow doctors to speak freely without being reprimanded by medical regulators for their controversial views. .
Marianne Udow Phillips, Founding Executive Director of the Transformational Center for Health and Research at the University of Michigan and Public Schools Lecturer at UM, said: health. “Experts are looking deeply into this issue,” she said. “There is tremendous concern. There is no doubt that experts are rethinking the issue and taking a closer look at how misinformation spreads.”
Some colleges and universities are beginning to incorporate communication as an element of their medical school curriculum. This is an area that has not been a priority for public health in the past.
“There is tremendous concern,” said Udow-Phillips. “There is no doubt that experts are rethinking the issue and taking a closer look at how misinformation spreads.”
Ward’s emergence as a central figure in DeSantis’ Covid-19 event has caused concern among many in the Florida medical community. Some of its members consider Ward to be misguided at best and a dangerous font of misinformation at worst.In an interview with POLITICO, his nine members of the association said Ward expressed concern that it was given a statewide platform. Each was given anonymity because the FMA has a policy not to publicly criticize other members.
Members of this group are wary of offending DeSantis, who the organization has endorsed for re-election in 2022.
Ward and other medical experts skeptical of vaccines, masks and other protective equipment say they just want to speak out without fear of retribution. He also does not claim to be a public health expert. This is a criticism frequently raised by critics concerned that governors are expanding the views of dermatologists without pandemic response training.
“I am an advocate for free speech in public policy debates and among healthcare professionals with patients,” Ward said in a statement to POLITICO. “It’s the only topic the Governor’s Office has asked me for opinions or thoughts on. The Governor, his staff, the Surgeon General, or his staff have been asked to discuss issues related to Covid-19, masks, lockdowns, or shots.” He never asked me about my thoughts on
“I happen to agree with them, as do the tens of thousands of doctors in this state who just re-elected Governor DeSantis, but calling me ‘the medical professional of his choice’ is utterly inaccurate. am.
In a statement, DeSantis spokesman Bryan Griffin defended Ward’s appearance at Tuesday’s event.
“We operate by evidence, not by public political consensus,” he said. “I would like to thank Dr. Ward for lending his time and expertise to the press conference to ensure medical freedom is upheld in Florida.”
DeSantis recently featured Ward at a press conference in Panama City last week, again urging lawmakers to pass a proposal that would make it harder to punish doctors for their controversial public statements. California Governor Gavin Newsom recently signed law This makes the spread of medical misinformation a kind of “unprofessional conduct,” contrary to what DeSantis wants.
“Governor DeSantis is upholding the strongest free speech protections for America’s doctors,” Ward said at the event. “I am honored to be one of the freest doctors in America’s freest state, treating the freest patients.”
In 2021, Ward took to social media to “train” children to lie about their vaccination status, telling school officials they already had Covid-19 to avoid quarantine if they did. I encouraged parents to “game the system” by telling them. School officials publicly condemned the comments. Ward later said he felt “regret” for makingDeSantis also covered Ward’s remarks in an official press release, and last summer appointed him to the board of trustees of Northwest Florida State College.
But Ward is not without supporters. After POLITICO asked him for comment, about half a dozen of his FMA members reached out to his POLITICO by email, defending the dermatologist.
said Thomas Johnson, an oncologist in Panama City. “He is an excellent dermatologist and contrary to your ignorant opinion, he is highly regarded in our community and has a lot of support within his FMA which has grown over time. increase.
“John has raised a strong voice of alarm in our community and state against this unprecedented medical tyranny regarding these COVID 19 vaccines and COVID 19 treatments,” Johnson added.
But many FMA members see the free speech debate as a cover that allows medical professionals like Ward to amplify politically entangled Covid-19 misinformation. .
“It is truly unfortunate that the pandemic and vaccines have caused such divisions not only between political parties, but also within the medical community,” said another member of the FMA. It was an ordeal of several years.”
