What happens when one state decides to scrap vaccine mandates entirely? Florida is about to find out.
At a press conference this week, Florida’s Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced a plan to eliminate every vaccine requirement in the state.
These include those that ensure kids are protected against polio, measles, and chickenpox before stepping into a classroom.
He compared the mandates to “slavery,” declaring: “Who am I to tell you what your child should put in your body? Your body is a gift from God.”
No timeline has been set, and some changes would require a vote from Florida’s Republican-led legislature.
But Ladapo pledged to end “all of them, every last one of them.”
The Backlash Has Been Swift
Democratic state lawmaker Anna Eskamani called the proposal “reckless and dangerous.”
The Florida Education Association warned it could disrupt learning and make schools less safe.
“Reducing vaccinations does the opposite of keeping kids in school—it puts their health and education at risk,” the group said.
Experts are alarmed. Dr. Debra Houry, who recently resigned from the CDC, cautioned the move could spark outbreaks.
“Vaccines prevent kids from having these significant diseases.”
Dr. Nahid Bhadelia added Florida’s status as a major travel hub only heightens the risk.
Public health groups point out that vaccines have saved over 150 million lives in the past half-century.
Florida now faces a choice: protect that legacy—or gamble with it.
