Florida Surgeon General Pushes to End Mandatory School Vaccines, Sparking Health Debate
Dr. Joseph Ladapo, backed by Governor Ron DeSantis, proposes eliminating required childhood vaccinations in Florida schools, drawing sharp criticism from health experts and educators.
In a controversial move, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo has announced a plan to abolish all mandatory school vaccinations, likening them to “slavery” and asserting that “children’s bodies are a gift from God” beyond government control.
The announcement was made during a joint press conference with Republican Governor Ron DeSantis, a longtime critic of COVID-19 vaccine mandates.
The proposal—still without a set timeline—would require legislative changes to overturn some vaccination mandates, while Florida’s Department of Health could directly remove others. Currently, students in public schools must receive immunizations against measles, mumps, chickenpox, polio, hepatitis B, and more.
Backlash from Public Health and Education Experts
The plan has triggered strong backlash from public health organizations, physicians, and Democratic lawmakers. Representative Anna Eskamani condemned the move as “reckless and dangerous,” warning of a potential health crisis. The Florida Education Association also denounced the proposal, saying it undermines student safety and risks increasing absenteeism due to preventable diseases.
The Florida Department of Health currently requires eight vaccines for school enrollment, including against diphtheria, whooping cough, rubella, measles, polio, and chickenpox. However, data from the CDC shows vaccination rates among kindergarteners have dropped below 92%, under the threshold needed for herd immunity.
A National Divide on Vaccines
While Florida moves toward rolling back vaccine requirements, Democratic-led states such as California, Oregon, and Washington have formed a new health coalition that rejects Trump-era changes to federal health policy. Instead, they rely on guidance from national medical organizations.
This debate intensifies under the leadership of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., recently appointed as U.S. Secretary of Health, who is known for his opposition to vaccine mandates and has sidelined several CDC experts from advisory committees.
The Global Context
A report from the World Health Organization (WHO) found that vaccines have saved more than 154 million lives over the past five decades. CDC data further shows that over 4 million deaths are prevented annually worldwide thanks to childhood immunizations.
