Overview

• Florida’s health department says the initial rule change targets mandates for hepatitis B, chickenpox, Hib and pneumococcal vaccines, with implementation anticipated in about 90 days.
• On CNN, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo said his team did no projections on disease spread before the move, framing the decision as a matter of parental rights after previously likening mandates to “slavery.”
• Major medical groups such as the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Pediatrics warn the rollback risks more outbreaks, noting Florida’s kindergarten immunization rate is about 90 percent, a decade low.
• President Donald Trump urged caution and praised longstanding shots like polio, saying some vaccines “should be used” to prevent illness and protect others.
• Because many school immunizations are written into statute, broader changes will require legislative action and could face legal challenges, even as the department’s narrower rulemaking proceeds.