DeSantis' surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, is spreading Covid vaccine misinfo

Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ controversial decision to appoint as his surgeon general a doctor who previously likened Covid-19 vaccination efforts to a misguided “religion” is emerging as a potentially powerful weapon for his Covid denialism.

DeSantis has tried to walk a careful line on the vaccine — acknowledging its safety, while also over-emphasizing monoclonal antibodies as an alternative and standing beside vaccine skeptics. But now the leading public health spokesperson in his government, Joseph Ladapo, is outright questioning vaccines and spreading disinformation about them.

This makes Ladapo a precious political asset for DeSantis: Rather than using...