Florida is preparing to dismantle all of its vaccine mandates — including those required for schoolchildren — in a sweeping move that public health experts say could trigger catastrophic outbreaks across the state and beyond.
State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, flanked by Governor Ron DeSantis, announced Wednesday that his office will begin rolling back requirements for multiple vaccines under its jurisdiction. He urged the Republican-led legislature to pass broader reforms when it reconvenes in January.
“Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” Ladapo declared at a press conference. “Who am I as a man standing here now to tell you what to do with your body?”
DeSantis, who has long made opposition to COVID-19 mandates a political trademark, cast the move as a defense of “medical freedom.”
“All U.S. states require vaccines for public schools,” noted Dr. Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. “If Florida removes them, you’re going to see multiple outbreaks of measles, polio, diphtheria — diseases we haven’t had to fear in decades. Kids will bring it home, and people will die.”
A collision with science
The announcement comes as national vaccination rates for kindergartners continue to slip. The CDC reported that coverage for core childhood vaccines fell again in 2024–25, amid the worst measles outbreak since the virus was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000.
Dr. Michael Osterholm, a leading infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, blasted the Florida plan as “reckless.”
“Every parent of a child who dies or is hospitalized from a vaccine-preventable disease will know exactly why,” he said.
Tourism magnifies the risk, Osterholm added: “Florida is a global crossroads. This won’t stay in Florida.”
A political crusade
The plan aligns closely with Trump administration health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a longtime vaccine skeptic now reshaping U.S. immunization policy. Kennedy has purged CDC vaccine advisers and installed allies who share his controversial views. Last week, the CDC’s director resigned after clashing with him, joined by four senior officials.
DeSantis confirmed Florida would create a commission to “align with Kennedy’s healthcare agenda,” signaling the state’s policies will increasingly diverge from federal standards.
Ladapo, who has frequently questioned the safety of COVID-19 vaccines despite global evidence to the contrary, also urged local governments to stop fluoridating drinking water — another move that alarmed health experts.
Political fallout
Democrats slammed the announcement. Candidate for governor David Jolly vowed to fire Ladapo if elected. “The next governor gets to fire this guy. I know I would,” he wrote on X.
But DeSantis and Ladapo remain steadfast. “Your body is a gift from God,” Ladapo said. “What you put into it is between you and your God, not the government.”
CDC data show more than 11,000 Florida kindergartners — about 5.1% — were exempted from one or more vaccines last school year, second only to Texas in total numbers.
Meanwhile, California, Oregon, and Washington announced a new West Coast Health Alliance to unify vaccine guidance and push back against federal rollbacks.
For Florida’s schools, hospitals, and millions of annual tourists, the stakes are immediate. As Dr. Tan warned: “This isn’t just about Florida’s children. This is about national public health.”
