EXCLUSIVE — Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo is standing firm behind his controversial decision not to force an isolation period for children not vaccinated against measles after an outbreak in his state in February, saying that erring on the side of individual choice should be a key lesson from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“What honestly breaks my heart but I hope that people recognize … is that, unfortunately, the same people who were ready to drive the car into the ground and take everyone down with them during COVID have learned no lessons,” Ladapo said in an exclusive interview with the Washington Examiner.