Parents in Florida will soon have full control over whether their children receive school-required vaccines, as state officials move to remove all mandates that have been in place for decades.
Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo announced the decision Wednesday, calling existing requirements “wrong” and comparing them to “slavery.”
He confirmed that the Florida Department of Health, alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), will work to repeal all vaccine mandates.
“Who am I to tell you what your child should put in their body? I don’t have that right,” Ladapo said during a press conference in Valrico, Hillsborough County.
He framed vaccination as a personal and family decision and emphasized support for parents who choose to decline vaccines.
Currently, Florida law mandates children receive immunizations for measles, mumps, rubella, polio, tetanus, chickenpox and Hepatitis B.
Until now, exemptions were allowed only for medical or religious reasons. With this change, Florida becomes the first state in the nation to fully eliminate school vaccine mandates.
Ladapo highlighted that lawmakers will “have to choose a side,” adding a personal note to those declining vaccines: “God bless you.”
He stated the Department of Health will act under its authority, while DeSantis and the state Legislature are