Florida is set to become the first U.S. state to abolish all vaccine mandates, including those required for children to attend school.
The announcement was made on Wednesday by Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, standing alongside Governor Ron DeSantis at a press event in Valrico.
Dr. Ladapo, a longtime critic of vaccination requirements, used unusually strong language.
“Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” he said. “Who am I to tell you what your child should put in their body?”
Governor DeSantis echoed the sentiment, linking the move to his broader campaign for “medical freedom.”
“Medical freedom is something we’ve got to be very conscientious about protecting,” DeSantis stated. He explained that while some mandates could be undone through executive action, others would require the state legislature to repeal.
Health Experts Warn of Dire Consequences
The declaration quickly triggered backlash from medical professionals.
Dr. Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, described the plan as a “major disaster,” warning it could bring back outbreaks of measles and polio.
Dr. Michael Osterholm, a leading infectious disease expert, called the move “reckless.” Meanwhile, the American Medical Association warned it would “undermine decades of public health progress” and put both children and communities at risk.
Democratic lawmakers in Florida also condemned the policy. House Minority Leader Fentrice Driskell accused the governor of “trading the health of our kids for media headlines.” Rep. Anna Eskamani of Orlando branded the plan “reckless and dangerous.”
Florida’s sweeping proposal reflects a growing political push nationwide toward “individual medical freedom,” a cause backed by several high-profile leaders. Still, no other state has gone as far as Florida in seeking to dismantle school vaccine requirements that public health experts credit with eliminating once-deadly childhood diseases.
The debate now extends beyond Florida. If one state abandons vaccine mandates, will others follow — and what would that mean for national disease control?
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