Florida is set to change its approach to school vaccine requirements. The state’s health department announced that in about 90 days, it will drop mandates for certain vaccines, including those for chickenpox. Currently, only a few illnesses will be affected, unless lawmakers decide to add more in the future, such as polio and measles.
This decision follows statements from Florida’s surgeon general, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who emphasized that families should have the freedom to choose whether to vaccinate their children. “If you want them, God bless, you can have as many as you want,” Ladapo said. “If you don’t want them, parents should have the ability to decide what goes into their children’s bodies.”
Florida will still require vaccines for measles, polio, and other diseases unless there are changes made through legislation when lawmakers convene again in January 2026. The public school year in Florida began in August, so this change will take time to implement.
Critics of the plan, including Dr. Rana Alissa from the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, warn that making vaccines optional could endanger students and staff, especially with the recent rise in measles cases across the country. The World Health Organization reports that vaccines have saved millions of lives globally over the past decades, particularly among young children.
While Florida currently allows religious exemptions for vaccinations, concerns remain amidst outbreaks of preventable diseases, prompting discussions about balancing personal choice with public health.
