Florida’s Surgeon General announced plans to eliminate school vaccine mandates, emphasizing individual choice and informed consent over government requirements.
Florida’s Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, has revealed that the state is taking steps to abolish all vaccine mandates for schoolchildren. This announcement came during a press conference held on Wednesday alongside Governor Ron DeSantis.
Ladapo stated that the Florida Department of Health (FDH), in collaboration with the governor’s office, aims to eliminate “every last one” of the existing vaccine mandates. He expressed strong opposition to these mandates, saying, “Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery.” He further asserted, “Who am I, as a government or anyone else, to tell you what you should put in your body? I don’t have that right. Your body is a gift from God.”
Governor DeSantis echoed these sentiments, emphasizing the importance of informed consent. He remarked that “information given to individuals, where they can then make an informed decision, should be the bedrock of how we function in health and in medicine.”
Currently, Florida requires eight vaccinations for children attending childcare, preschool, and K–12 schools. These include the diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP), polio (IPV), measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), varicella, Hib, pneumococcal conjugate, and hepatitis B vaccines. For K-12 students, specific doses of DTaP, IPV, MMR, hepatitis B, and varicella are mandated, along with a Tdap vaccine for seventh graders.
Dr. Marc Siegel, a senior medical analyst at Fox News, commented on the effectiveness of vaccine mandates, noting that they may not be necessary for all vaccines. He pointed out that for vaccines that prevent transmission, such as those for measles, mumps, rubella, varicella, or polio, school mandates can be justified. “The only way to achieve herd immunity is through vaccination, where the spread is stopped,” he explained. He added that those who cannot receive certain vaccines due to health conditions are protected by the immunity of those around them.
Siegel emphasized the importance of creating a community of immunity around highly contagious viruses through vaccination, describing it as “responsible public health.”
Florida would be the first state to implement a statewide ban on vaccine mandates for schoolchildren, although other states have proposed or enacted similar legislation. Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) indicates a decline in vaccinations among kindergartners for the 2024-2025 school year, with exemptions from one or more vaccines increasing from 3.3% to 3.6%.
In response to the announcement, Dr. Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, expressed concern. She stated, “We are concerned that today’s announcement by Gov. DeSantis will put children in Florida public schools at higher risk for getting sick, and have ripple effects across their community.”
Parents and guardians with questions regarding vaccinations are encouraged to consult with their healthcare providers to make informed decisions about their children’s health.
Source: Original article