Florida is once again at the center of a national debate—this time over childhood vaccine requirements. On September 3, 2025, Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, flanked by Governor Ron DeSantis, announced plans to make Florida the first state in the nation to eliminate all school vaccine mandates. The announcement, made at a press conference in Valrico, Hillsborough County, marks a dramatic shift in public health policy and has sent shockwaves through medical circles, schools, and communities across the state.
Dr. Ladapo didn’t mince words at the podium. Calling existing vaccine mandates "immoral" and "an intrusion on parental rights," Ladapo declared, “Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery. Who am I to tell you what your child should put in their body? I don’t have that right. Your body is a gift from God.” According to reporting by the Associated Press and other outlets, Ladapo said the Florida Department of Health would begin the process of repealing about half a dozen vaccine requirements under its control, with the legislature expected to tackle others, including those for polio, diphtheria, rubella, pertussis, mumps, and tetanus.
While no exact timeline has been set, Ladapo assured the public that some changes could happen soon through administrative rule changes. “We actually have the ability to start that process with what government folks call ‘rules,’” he explained. “So those are going to be gone, for sure.” The broader effort, dubbed "medical freedom" by DeSantis and Ladapo, is expected to be codified in legislation during the next session, with the governor’s wife, Casey DeSantis, also involved in drafting the measure.
The move has been met with fierce opposition from major medical groups. The American Medical Association (AMA), American Academy of Pediatrics, and National Association of School Nurses have all sounded the alarm. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, a member of the AMA Board of Trustees, stated, “This unprecedented rollback would undermine decades of public health progress and place children and communities at increased risk for diseases such as measles, mumps, polio, and chickenpox resulting in serious illness, disability, and even death.” The National Association of School Nurses went further, arguing that “vaccine exemptions should be eliminated, except when necessary for validated medical contraindications.”
Doctors and public health experts warn that Florida’s plan could open the door to outbreaks of diseases that had been largely kept at bay for decades. Lynn Nelson, president of the National Association of School Nurses, commented, “If they’re able to go through with it, they’re just opening a door to a health crisis that’s 100 percent preventable.” She pointed to measles, mumps, and whooping cough as particular concerns, noting that schools act as a microcosm of society, with students potentially transmitting diseases to vulnerable populations at home.
These concerns are not hypothetical. According to CDC data, 2025 has already been the worst year for measles in the U.S. in over three decades, with more than 1,400 cases reported nationwide, most in Texas, and three deaths. Florida has not been immune: a 2024 measles outbreak in Miami-Dade resulted in nine infections, and as of August 30, six cases have been reported in Florida this year. Whooping cough has also surged, with over 19,000 cases nationwide as of late August—nearly 2,000 more than last year—and has claimed the lives of at least two babies in Louisiana and a five-year-old in Washington state.
Florida’s immunization rates have been slipping for years. The state lags behind the national average for kindergarteners: only 88.7% were immunized for diseases like measles, mumps, and rubella in 2025, compared to over 92% nationwide. Religious exemptions are on the rise, too—reaching 6.4% among children aged 5-17 and as high as 15% in some counties, according to the Florida Health Department’s May 2025 Vaccine-Preventable Disease Surveillance Report. The same report noted upticks in hepatitis A, whooping cough, and chickenpox cases in the state.
Not everyone in Florida is on the same page. Some parents, like Ivette Faes of Fort Lauderdale, say, “I’m pro-vaccine 100%... we have to protect our kids to protect the other ones.” Others, such as Ebony Walker, support the end of mandates, citing concerns about the number of shots required for children and Florida’s reputation for “setting the trend.” Still others, like Lidia Clark, whose grandchild has never been vaccinated, are “ecstatic” about the prospect of not needing exemptions. “If you want to vaccinate your child, you can, but I don’t believe that it should have ever been enforced on any of us,” Clark said.
Dr. Ladapo’s own background has become part of the story. A Nigerian native and Harvard-trained physician, Ladapo’s career has been marked by controversy, particularly around his opposition to mainstream COVID-19 measures and vaccines. Since his appointment as Surgeon General in 2021—an appointment expedited by Governor DeSantis and accompanied by a 52% salary increase—Ladapo has consistently promoted “medical freedom” and questioned the efficacy of masks and vaccines, often contradicting CDC guidance. He has also appeared on far-right podcasts and signed the Great Barrington Declaration, which advocated for herd immunity through natural infection, a view widely criticized by public health experts.
Ladapo’s tenure has not been without conflict. In February 2024, after a measles outbreak at a Florida elementary school, he sent a letter to parents noting that it was “normally recommended” for unvaccinated children to stay home for three weeks but declined to mandate it, deferring instead to parental choice. Critics argue that such decisions ignore established medical guidance and put communities at risk, especially those who cannot be vaccinated for legitimate medical reasons.
The potential ripple effects go beyond public health. Florida’s $128 billion tourism industry, which welcomed 143 million visitors last year, could face challenges if outbreaks deter travelers. Major theme parks like Walt Disney World and Universal Orlando no longer require proof of vaccination for employees, a policy shift that followed state laws passed in 2021. Florida’s $24 billion cruise industry is also in the spotlight; while most cruise lines do not require vaccinations, the CDC continues to recommend COVID and flu shots for travelers, especially those visiting countries with different disease risks.
Supporters of the policy change, including Governor DeSantis, argue that it is a matter of personal liberty and parental rights. Critics, however, warn that the rollback could undo decades of progress in controlling infectious diseases. As Dr. Joshua Laban, a primary care physician in Miami, put it, physicians will play a crucial role in “trying to explain how vaccines work and how they’re developed,” as misinformation spreads online and in communities.
As Florida moves forward with its plan to eliminate vaccine mandates, the eyes of the nation are watching. Will the state’s gamble on “medical freedom” pay off, or will it bring about preventable outbreaks and public health crises? For now, the debate rages on, with parents, doctors, and policymakers all weighing the risks and rewards of a decision that could reshape public health not just in Florida, but across the United States.
