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Florida to abolish all vaccine mandates in MAHA push

Florida surgeon general says state will move to outlaw all vaccine mandates, equating them to 'slavery'

Florida is set to become the first U.S. state to abolish all vaccine mandates, as announced by Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo and Governor Ron DeSantis.
Surgeon General Ladapo controversially likened vaccine mandates to "slavery" while outlining plans to end requirements, including those long-standing for schoolchildren.
The state's new policy push aligns with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s "Make America Healthy Again" agenda, with DeSantis establishing a commission to integrate its principles.
Experts have raised concerns about Ladapo and Kennedy's history of promoting health misinformation, while studies confirm vaccine mandates significantly reduce the spread of preventable diseases.
Florida's kindergarten vaccination rates declined from 93.5 per cent in 2020 to 89.8 per cent in 2024, with past drops correlating to increases in measles cases.