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4w ago

Florida Moves to Roll Back School Vaccine Mandates as Lawmakers’ Support Remains Unclear

Key vaccines required by statute remain in place until lawmakers act.

FILE - Florida Department of Health Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo speaks during a Patient Freedom news conference on March 5, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara, File)
A pharmacy advertises COVID -19 testing and a vaccine on September 04, 2025 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. Five years after the emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S, access to vaccines against the virus has come under scrutiny by the Donald Trump administration, causing concern among vulnerable groups, including children and those with pre-existing health conditions.
Co-owner Eric Abramowitz at Eric's Rx Shoppe unpacks a shipment of COVID-19 vaccines at the store in Horsham, Pa., Tuesday, Sept. 2, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Overview

  • State health officials say they will seek rule changes to drop four Department of Health–mandated shots — varicella, hepatitis B, Hib, and pneumococcal — and to allow opt-outs based on personal belief, with an estimated rollout of roughly 80 days.
  • Mandates for vaccines embedded in law, including MMR and polio, cannot be repealed without legislative approval, and top Republican leaders Daniel Perez and Ben Albritton have not endorsed the proposal.
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Medical Association criticized the plan, warning of greater outbreak risk as Florida kindergarten coverage has fallen to about 88.7% from roughly 93.8% pre-pandemic.
  • Gov. Ron DeSantis also announced a Florida Make America Healthy Again commission and said a broader “medical freedom” package would be brought to the Legislature.
  • President Donald Trump urged caution from the White House, praising long-established vaccines like polio and signaling differences with the DeSantis–Ladapo push to eliminate all mandates.