Florida’s Reckless Plan to End All Vaccine Mandates is a Recipe for Disaster
WASHINGTON, D.C. – The State of Florida today announced plans to end all vaccine mandates, including for schoolchildren. The State Surgeon General of Florida, Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, said “every last one of [the vaccine mandates] is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery.” At present, all 50 states and the District of Columbia have at least some vaccine requirements for children entering school, with allowance for medical exemptions in all states and religious or personal reasons in most states. Dr. Robert Steinbrook, director of Public Citizen’s Health Research Group, issued the following statement:
“Florida’s plan to end all vaccine mandates is a recipe for disaster and exactly the wrong approach to protecting state residents from infectious diseases. Immunization rates across the country, including routine vaccination rates for children entering kindergarten, continue to decrease.
“High immunization rates against dangerous infectious diseases such as measles and polio protect individuals as well as their communities. If this plan moves forward, Florida will terminate one of the most effective means of limiting the spread of infectious diseases and embolden U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. to wreak even more havoc on vaccinations nationally. The Florida Legislature and state residents must vociferously reject these plans.”