PANAMA CITY BEACH, FLORIDA – Florida officials are moving forward with a proposal to roll back certain vaccine requirements for schoolchildren, following Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’s push to make the state the first in the nation to eliminate all school vaccination mandates.
The proposed changes, outlined by the Florida Department of Health, would remove requirements for hepatitis B, varicella, and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) vaccines for children attending public or private K-12 schools. The plan also eliminates the mandate for the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine in child care facilities. Other vaccine mandates for diseases such as polio, tetanus, and mumps remain protected under state law and would require legislative approval to change.
During a public hearing in Panama City Beach, pediatricians, educators, parents, and health advocates voiced concerns about the risks of removing these mandates. Pediatrician Eehab Kenawy described cases of unvaccinated children contracting Hib, including a four-month-old who died and a two-and-a-half-year-old who suffered a severe brain infection. Other medical experts recalled the devastating effects of preventable diseases before widespread vaccination, including paralysis, deafness, and death.
Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has framed the current mandates as infringements on parental rights and described them as “immoral” restrictions on personal choice. The public hearing also included testimony from vaccine advocates recounting the lifelong impact of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as a meningitis survivor who lost limbs and described her prolonged hospital stay and recovery.
Supporters of the rollback emphasized medical freedom, citing growing vaccine skepticism following the COVID-19 pandemic. Some referenced national figures who advocate for loosening vaccine requirements, arguing that mandates tied to school attendance compromise informed consent.
The debate comes as the United States faces outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. In South Carolina, a measles outbreak has affected 116 school-age children, many of whom were unvaccinated due to religious exemptions. Health officials warn that eliminating vaccine mandates in Florida could increase the risk of similar outbreaks.
