VALRICO, Fla. — Florida will work to phase out all childhood vaccine mandates in the state, building on the effort by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis to curb vaccine requirements and other health mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The announcement was made during a Wednesday news conference held by Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo in Valrico.
WATCH BELOW: Florida will work to eliminate all childhood vaccine mandates
"Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery," Ladapo said. "Who am I as a government, or anyone else ... to tell you what you should put in your body. Who am I to tell you what your child should put in your body? I don't have that right. Your body is a gift from God."
DeSantis also announced on Wednesday the creation of a state-level "Make America Healthy Again" commission modeled after similar initiatives pushed at the federal level by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
On the vaccines, Ladapo cast current requirements in schools and elsewhere as an "immoral" intrusion on people's rights bordering on "slavery," and hampers parents' ability to make health decisions for their children.
Ladapo has frequently clashed with the medical establishment since he was appointed by DeSantis in 2021.
The state Health Department, Ladapo said, can scrap its own rules for some vaccine mandates, but others would require action by the Florida Legislature. He did not specify any particular vaccines but repeated several times the effort would end "all of them. Every last one of them."
Florida would be the first state to eliminate so many vaccine mandates, Ladapo added.
Democratic state Rep. Anna Eskamani, who is running for Orlando mayor, said in a social media post that scrapping vaccines "is reckless and dangerous" and could cause outbreaks of preventable disease.
"This is a public health disaster in the making for the Sunshine State," she said on the social platform X.
Meanwhile, the Democratic governors of Washington, Oregon and California announced Wednesday that they created an alliance to safeguard health policies, contending that the administration of President Donald Trump is politicizing public health decisions.
The partnership plans to coordinate health guidelines by aligning immunization plans based on recommendations from respected national medical organizations, according to a joint statement from Gov. Bob Ferguson of Washington, Gov. Tina Kotek of Oregon and Gov. Gavin Newsom of California.
In Florida, vaccine mandates for child day care facilities and public schools include shots for measles, chickenpox, hepatitis B, Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP), polio and other diseases, according to the state Health Department's website.
Under DeSantis, Florida resisted imposing COVID vaccines on schoolchildren, requiring "passports" for places that draw crowds, school closures and mandates that workers get the shots to keep their jobs.
"I don't think there's another state that's done as much as Florida. We want to stay ahead of the curve," the governor said.
The state "MAHA" commission would look into such things as allowing informed consent in medical matters, promoting safe and nutritious food, boosting parental rights regarding medical decisions about their children, and eliminating “medical orthodoxy that is not supported by the data," DeSantis said. The commission will be chaired by Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and Florida first lady Casey DeSantis.
"We're getting government out of the way, getting government out of your lives," Collins said.
The commission's work will help inform a large "medical freedom package" to be introduced in the Legislature next session, which would address the vaccine mandates required by state law and make permanent the recent state COVID decisions relaxing restrictions, DeSantis said.
"There will be a broad package," the governor said.
According to the CDC website, about 4 million deaths worldwide are prevented by childhood vaccination every year.
Florida Democrats released a statement calling the move "reckless."
State Sen. Democratic Leader Lori Berman:
"This is ridiculous. Florida already has broad medical and religious exemptions for childhood vaccines, so any family that has a sincere opposition to vaccination can opt-out. Removing the mandate wholesale is dangerous, anti-science, and anti-child. Nobody wants to go back to the days of iron lungs. Republicans have gone from entertaining anti-science conspiracy theories to fully endorsing an anti-science health policy. As a member of the Senate Health Policy Committee, I'll be doing everything in my power to protect our kids from these reckless attempts to harm them."
State Sen. Tina Polsky:
"Vaccines are crucial for our children because they protect them from deadly diseases and keep entire communities safe through herd immunity. Diseases, including polio, that once destroyed our children’s health and futures, will have the chance to return under this dangerous policy change. I voted against Dr. Ladapo's confirmation in 2023 because he has a habit of misrepresenting science and making decisions that affect the health of Floridians. He remains determined to prioritize political dogma over smart health decisions."
State Sen. Shevrin Jones:
"Ending vaccine mandates poses a grave public health risk and will likely lead to a resurgence of preventable diseases. This reckless move jeopardizes the health and lives of countless Floridians — from children to seniors — especially those too young to be vaccinated or those with compromised immune systems. The DeSantis administration is actively undermining public health, making communities more vulnerable to outbreaks and increasing the burden on healthcare systems."
U.S. Rep. Lois Frankel
"Eliminating vaccine requirements is reckless and dangerous. It puts everyone at risk, especially endangering children, seniors, and those with weakened immune systems. It threatens Florida's economy, which depends on people being healthy and tourists feeling safe."
Florida governor candidate David Jolly
Democratic candidate for Florida Gov. David Jolly called on DeSantis to immediately fire Ladapo.
Jolly called the announcement "dangerous and deeply irresponsible."
"For generations, vaccines have protected kids, families, and schools from outbreaks of preventable diseases. Stripping away these protections, puts politics ahead of science and needlessly endangers the health of our communities. Florida families deserve leaders who will put the safety of our children first and not gamble with their futures," Jolly said.
Jolly also called on all candidates running for Florida governor to join him in calling for Ladapo's firing.
Statement from Florida Education Association
"As educators, our first responsibility is to keep students safe and provide the best environment to support and educate them. That means protecting both students and the educators who teach them—community members with families, hopes, and dreams. Our focus has remained where it belongs: keeping students safe, making sure every classroom has the resources it needs, ensuring every child has a qualified teacher, and tackling the real challenges facing Florida’s public schools today. That's the work that truly matters for Florida’s families and communities.
When leaders talk about pulling back vaccines, they’re talking about disrupting student learning and making schools less safe. State leaders say they care about reducing chronic absenteeism and keeping kids in school—but reducing vaccinations does the opposite, putting our children’s health and education at risk.
Florida leaders claim to care about students but silence experts and take actions that make schools less safe. They claim to care about educators but refuse to pay them fairly. They claim to care about communities but put profit ahead of people at every turn. So, the question is: Is this really about keeping students safe, or is this simply about playing politics?
We're reviewing the potential impacts on public schools and our communities. But, make no mistake, FEA will continue to stand up for our students, our educators, and our public schools."
