On Thursday, Florida’s Surgeon General, Joseph Ladapo, doubled down on that politically fraught decision with a brash proclamation. The state would no longer require children to be vaccinated for protectable diseases. This declaration is a significant shift in public health policy here in Florida. The state already has tough immunization standards in place for childhood vaccinations, including for measles, mumps, chickenpox, polio and hepatitis.
At a press conference in Tampa, Governor Ron DeSantis welcomed Ladapo. He provocatively published his anti-vaccine perspective in an abstract, claiming that studies frequently misattribute impacts to vaccines. He stated, “Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery.” His comments reveal a deep, chronic distrust of the value of vaccines. Public health advocates have widely condemned him for taking this position, decrying him as a purveyor of “scientific nonsense.”
Ladapo’s announcement lacked specifics or a timeline on the proposed repeal. He promised participants that his department will work hand-in-hand with legislators. Julio, Christine, and Rick plan to work closely with the DeSantis administration to shepherd this effort on their initiative. If enacted, Florida would be the first state in recent memory to end vaccine mandates for children.
The surgeon general was critical of the lockdowns and vaccination mandates imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic. He emphasized individual choice in medical decisions, stating, “People have a right to make their own decisions. Who am I, as a government or anyone else, to tell you what you should put in your body? Our body is a gift from God. What you put into your body is because of your relationship with your body and your God.”
Ladapo further indicated that he believes the growing skepticism surrounding vaccines represents “reflections of God’s light against the darkness of tyranny and oppression.” He expressed hope that this move to repeal vaccine mandates would receive divine approval, adding, “I love our lawmakers. They’re going to have to make decisions… people are going to have to choose a side. And I am telling you right now that the moral side is so simple.”
The reversal has sent shockwaves through advocacy, industry, and philanthropic sectors. Public health advocates are raising the alarm on how it would harm child health and community immunity. Further, they contend that repealing vaccine mandates would increase outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease.