TAMPA, Fla. (Diya TV) — Florida is set to eliminate all state vaccine mandates, a move that could make it the first U.S. state to fully roll back policies credited with controlling infectious diseases and boosting vaccination rates.
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced the plan Wednesday at a news conference outside Tampa alongside Gov. Ron DeSantis. Ladapo described every vaccine mandate as “wrong and drips with disdain and slavery.” He called ending the mandates “the right thing to do” and emphasized that individuals should have the freedom to choose what goes into their bodies.
“Who am I as a man standing here now to tell you what you should put in your body?” Ladapo said.
DeSantis endorsed Ladapo’s plan but noted that ending some vaccine requirements would require legislative approval. Florida law currently requires students to be vaccinated against polio, diphtheria, measles, rubella, pertussis, mumps, and tetanus, while allowing medical and religious exemptions. Removing these mandates would need lawmakers’ support.
The Florida Department of Health could more immediately end mandates for four vaccines under its own rules, including chickenpox, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type b, and pneumococcal vaccines.
Florida’s move highlights growing political divides over vaccines. Anti-vaccine figures such as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., founder of Children’s Health Defense, have long pushed to challenge U.S. vaccination policies. Kennedy has publicly questioned vaccine mandates, framing them as matters of personal choice involving parents and doctors.
At the news conference, DeSantis announced a Florida version of Kennedy’s “Make America Healthy Again” campaign. The initiative aims to address chronic disease and childhood illness through nutrition and lifestyle changes, rather than vaccines alone.
Meanwhile, Democratic-led states California, Oregon, and Washington announced plans to coordinate their own immunization guidelines to maintain vaccine access.
Public health experts criticized Florida’s plan. Columbia University public health professor James Colgrove called it “a very troubling development” and warned it could be “catastrophic.” He said the last several years of debate in legislatures have focused on expanding exemptions, not eliminating mandates.
The American Academy of Pediatrics also expressed concern. President Susan Kressly said widespread vaccination makes it harder for diseases to spread and keeps schools safer. “We are concerned that today’s announcement by Gov. DeSantis will put children in Florida public schools at higher risk for getting sick and have ripple effects across their community,” Kressly said.
Florida Parent Teacher Association’s incoming head, Jude Bruno, warned that lifting vaccine mandates could threaten student and staff health. She noted that Florida’s high tourism economy makes the state particularly vulnerable to preventable outbreaks.
Ladapo has previously drawn criticism for opposing mainstream public health guidance. He called for stopping the use of mRNA coronavirus vaccines last year, citing claims that the shots could alter DNA—a claim widely debunked. He also opposed adding fluoride to drinking water, a practice recognized for improving oral health.
Trump’s transition team reportedly considered Ladapo for Health and Human Services secretary before selecting Kennedy. In interviews, Ladapo has called for federal agencies to reconsider their long-standing support for vaccines and criticized the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention for what he described as a “cultish relationship with vaccines.”
Public surveys show strong support for vaccine mandates. A Kaiser Family Foundation survey published in January found that 83 percent of Americans believe public schools should require vaccines, with health and religious exemptions. Support spans political lines, including 93 percent of Democrats, 85 percent of independents, and 75 percent of Republicans.
Florida Sen. Lori Berman, a Democrat on the Senate health committee, expressed shock at the announcement. She cited recent legislation banning fluoride in the state’s water as a worrying trend.
As Florida moves to end all vaccine mandates, it sets the stage for a major shift in public health policy. The decision will likely deepen political divides and spark debates on personal freedom versus community health. Parents, lawmakers, and health officials across the country will be watching closely to see whether Florida’s approach could influence other states.
