September 4, 2025
Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery.
Florida Surgeon General and Secretary of Health Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo announcing the state Health Department will seek to eliminate vaccine mandates. Florida currently requires certain vaccines for children attending public schools, though exemptions are possible.
Why It Matters: If Florida eliminates vaccine mandates, it will become the first state in the nation to do so. However, the timing remains TBD. Some mandates require approval from the state legislature – not unilateral action by the Secretary of Health or the Governor.
Something To Consider: Some critics are calling this move “dangerous.” Chair of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. Rana Alissa, explains her concerns: “When everyone in a school is vaccinated, it is harder for diseases to spread and easier for everyone to continue learning and having fun. When children are sick and miss school, caregivers also miss work, which not only impacts those families but also the local economy.”
Did You Know? In 1855, Massachusetts became the first state to require a smallpox vaccine for schoolchildren, according to the Mayo Clinic. In some cases, state vaccine mandate laws also apply to public colleges.
Meanwhile: This week, California, Oregon, and Washington announced the creation of the West Coast Health Alliance. The new partnership aims to “safeguard scientific expertise by ensuring that public health policies in California, Oregon, and Washington are informed by trusted scientists, clinicians, and other public health leaders.” The states say the move comes because “the CDC has become a political tool that increasingly peddles ideology instead of science.”
After Health and Human Services announced new COVID vaccine guidelines, New Mexico and Colorado announced they would “remove barriers” to getting the vaccine.
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by Karly Code, based in Kentucky
