Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo’s recent comments critical of COVID-19 vaccines took a religious turn during an interview with far-right podcast host Steve Bannon, where he labeled the vaccines as the “Antichrist of all products.”
Just a day after Ladapo expressed concerns about mRNA vaccines potentially harming DNA—a claim refuted by experts—he reiterated his unfounded assertions to Bannon.
“I think it probably does have some integration at some levels with the human genome,” Ladapo said on the War Room podcast.
“Because these vaccines are honestly—they’re the Antichrist of all products. So I think it probably does. But I’m not saying it does.”
He further remarked, “I’m saying that they themselves have said you should test for it,” referring to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“And that hasn’t happened, and they’ve provided no proof that it’s happened. And that’s so wrong.
You know, it’s just complete disrespect to the human genome and the importance of protecting it and preserving it. And that is our connection to God.”
Ladapo’s combination of vaccine skepticism and religious references, echoing sentiments that emerged in early 2021 during the U.S. vaccination campaign, drew criticism from the FDA.
“Continuing to mention information about residual DNA in COVID-19 vaccines without discussing it within the context of the manufacturing process and the known benefits of the vaccine is misleading,” FDA spokeswoman Cherie Duvall-Jones stated in a recent response.
Over the past few years, many far-right influencers and commentators have intertwined Christian beliefs with anti-vaccine messages.
The notion that COVID-19 vaccines might include the “mark of the beast”—a reference to a prophecy in the Book of Revelation indicating the Antichrist will mark impure Christians to exclude them from heaven—has gained traction in conservative Christian circles.
Ladapo has faced criticism for other controversial actions, including reportedly altering a study’s findings to align with his anti-vaccine stance, advising against vaccinating healthy children, and disputing the efficacy of masks in saving lives.
