Florida’s government is poised to eliminate all vaccine mandates, including those for children’s school attendance. Governor Ron DeSantis and State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced the plan on Wednesday, citing the protection of individual freedoms as the primary motivation. This has drawn criticism from health experts, who are concerned about potential risks to children and the community. The state agency intends to remove roughly half a dozen vaccine rules. However, the Florida legislature, which is dominated by Republicans, must approve any major changes. The specific vaccines affected by the removal of mandates are currently unknown. All U.S. states currently require vaccinations for children to attend school.
CDC data reveals a decline in vaccination rates for diseases such as measles, diphtheria, and polio during the 2024-25 academic year. This coincides with the highest number of measles cases since the year 2000. Experts warn that removing vaccine mandates could result in the rapid spread of preventable diseases among children, who could then bring these illnesses back to their homes. The decision is seen as careless, and it’s cautioned that every impacted family would have to pay the price of this policy change.
Experts believe that the policy could weaken the safety of daycares and other institutions. Furthermore, Florida is a major tourist hub, which could lead to the spread of infections to other states. According to the CDC, approximately 11,287 kindergarten children in Florida received vaccine exemptions in 2024-25, the second largest number in the United States after Texas. Meanwhile, California, Oregon, and Washington are forming a joint health alliance to set their own vaccine policies, regardless of federal guidelines.
