On 3/9, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo announced the state's plan to completely remove mandatory vaccination requirements for children. The exact timeline for these changes remains unclear. Ladapo explained some regulations can be removed by health officials, while others require legislative approval. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stated a state committee will develop a "health freedom package" for the next legislative session.
This decision comes amid declining vaccination rates nationwide, threatening the 95% herd immunity threshold recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to prevent diseases like measles.
Florida's move is the most drastic step in a growing trend across the US. In the past year, at least 10 states have adjusted their policies, mostly by making it easier for students to obtain vaccination exemptions. Idaho currently leads the nation with a 15.4% exemption rate after passing the "Medical Freedom Act," which prohibits organizations from denying services to unvaccinated individuals.
According to CDC data, the national student exemption rate reached a record 3.6% during the 2024-2025 school year, causing coverage for crucial vaccines like measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) and polio to fall below the safe threshold of approximately 92.5% in kindergartners.
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Illustrative photo: iStock |
Illustrative photo: iStock
Consequences of relaxing these regulations have begun to emerge. A measles outbreak in Texas earlier this year contributed to pushing the number of cases nationwide to the highest level in 30 years, with over 1,400 cases. Polio, once eradicated, has also reappeared. Dr. Philip Huang, Director of the Dallas County Health and Human Services, warned: "People have forgotten the success of vaccines. In the past, the US had nearly 60,000 polio cases annually. Parents used to live in fear every summer."
The CDC is also in turmoil after the new director was fired and several senior leaders resigned. The root cause of this crisis stems from scientists' conflicts with Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, who holds anti-vaccine views. Kennedy publicly accused CDC scientists of being "corrupt and incompetent" and believes vaccines are linked to autism.
For decades, mandatory school vaccination regulations have been considered a key tool for protecting public health, especially for those who cannot be vaccinated, such as infants and individuals with weakened immune systems. A majority of parents, regardless of political views, still support maintaining vaccine requirements for measles and polio in schools, according to a KFF-Washington Post survey.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that vaccines have saved 154 million lives in the past 50 years, and the CDC affirms that childhood vaccinations prevent an estimated 4 million deaths worldwide each year.
Binh Minh (CBS News)
