Florida to end all vaccine mandates, state officials say

Florida will end all state vaccine mandates, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced Wednesday. Why it matters: Vaccines have prevented the deaths of tens of millions worldwide in the past 50 years — and Florida wants to become the first state in the U.S. to stop requiring them. The state already leads the southeast in non-medical vaccine exemptions among kindergartners, and the rollback could mean fewer school children are inoculated against deadly viruses like measles and polio. Catch up quick: Ladapo, a well-known vaccine critic, announced his plans to end the practice via an administrative rule at a news conference in Hillsborough County, comparing vaccine mandates to "slavery."Friction point: Gov. Ron DeSantis said that the state Department of Health can end vaccine mandates not written into state law, but any others will require action by the Legislature. He acknowledged neither he nor Ladapo has spoken with state lawmakers about pursuing those changes. Between the lines: State statutes currently require school children to get immunized against seven illnesses: polio, diphtheria, measles, whooping cough, mumps and tetanus. The statute allows the state Department of Health to add vaccines to the list, but not remove any. As of August, the state Department of Health required students to be vaccinated against four additional illnesses: chickenpox, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), hepatitis B, and pneumococcal disease.What they're saying: "Who am I to tell you what you should put in your body?" Ladapo said at Wednesday's press conference. "What you put into your body is because of your relationship with your body and God," he added. The government does not have that right."The other side: "This is devastating news," Jill Roberts, associate professor at the University of South Florida's College of Public Health, told Axios. "You're going to leave kids susceptible to diseases that are deadly and have lifelong consequences," she said. How it works: In Florida, a parent can obtain a religious exemption for their child by visiting the county's health department.No appointment is needed, and no questions are asked, per the state Department of Health.The state logged 10,556 non-medical exemptions in the 2024–25 school year, the second-highest total after Texas with 15,207, per the CDC. Editor's note: This story was updated with additional details.

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