Florida ending vaccine mandates? Stephen Colbert blasts Joseph Ladapo — here’s why
Joseph Ladapo: Florida’s Surgeon General redefining public health. Image Credit: The Florida Channel/file
On Thursday night’s episode of The Late Show, Stephen Colbert shifted his sharp humor toward Florida’s controversial health policies, taking aim at state Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo.
During a Sept. 3 press conference in Valrico, Ladapo announced plans to partner with Gov. Ron DeSantis and state lawmakers to eliminate all vaccine mandates in Florida, including long-standing requirements for schoolchildren. Echoing his often-repeated stance, Ladapo argued that government should not dictate what citizens put into their bodies. “Who am I as a man standing here now to tell you what you should put in your body?” he asked.
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Colbert, never one to miss an opportunity, fired back on air: “You’re a doctor! That’s literally your job. You’re supposed to tell us what goes in our bodies—at least the stuff that keeps us from dying of polio.”
The comedian quipped that while most doctors advise patients to cut down on salt, his role was to “pretend” to follow that advice. He also mocked the broader implications of Florida’s decision, pointing out that students could soon face renewed exposure to diseases long thought confined to history. “These are illnesses that should only appear in an old Oregon Trail video game,” Colbert joked, adding, “The modern version just says: ‘You have died of Florida.’”
Ladapo, who has repeatedly questioned the safety of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines, labeled all mandates “wrong” and “dripping with disdain and slavery.” He pledged to dismantle the half-dozen directives within his control while working with DeSantis to remove those embedded in state law. His remarks drew swift condemnation from Democrats, medical associations, and pediatric groups, all warning that the move threatens public health.
Colbert went further, suggesting Florida leaders were dragging the state back in time. He reminded viewers that school vaccination laws emerged in the 1850s to fight smallpox—measures that saved generations. “You know how I know they worked?” he asked. “Because I didn’t die of smallpox. Yet.”
This segment comes as Colbert begins the final stretch of his career. Paramount Global confirmed that The Late Show will end in 2026, despite holding the top spot in its time slot. The company cited steep losses, while critics linked the decision to Colbert’s outspoken digs at both corporate leadership and Donald Trump.
For Colbert, though, Florida’s vaccine debate was just the latest example of what he considers political recklessness. As he summed it up with one last jab, state leaders weren’t just rewriting health policy—they were rewriting history.
