Florida Moves Forward with Vaccine Rollback

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — Florida is taking steps to roll back long-standing vaccine requirements, with the Florida Department of Health this week publishing a notice of a rule change that could reshape how schools and families handle immunizations.

The notice signals revisions to school immunization forms and guidelines, including the DH 680 Certification of Immunization and DH 681 Religious Exemption. It also mentions changes to the opt-out process for Florida SHOTS, the state’s online vaccine registry. Specifics of the rule have not yet been released, but the update is part of a larger push by Gov. Ron DeSantis and Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo to eliminate all vaccine mandates from state law.

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“Informed consent,” said DeSantis during a recent press conference announcing the plans. “Making sure we’re protecting parents’ rights, and then also just being willing to challenge medical orthodoxy that’s not supported by the data.”

Ladapo was more blunt, calling mandates “immoral” and saying the government has no right to dictate what people put in their bodies. “Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” he said.

Medical Community Pushes Back

The proposal is drawing sharp criticism from doctors who warn it could open the door for outbreaks of once-eradicated diseases like measles, polio, and whooping cough.

“By allowing parents who have been influenced wrongly by social media to decide not to immunize their children, with vaccine rates going down… every single one of these diseases is a human disease. They will come back,” said Dr. Paul Robinson, an associate professor at FSU College of Medicine and past president of Florida’s chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Robinson called the move “total insanity” and said it threatens to undo decades of public health progress. He joins a chorus of physicians and groups, including the American Medical Association, in urging Florida leaders to reconsider.

GOP Caution

Even some Republicans are approaching the issue carefully. Rep. Peggy Gossett-Seidman (R-Boca Raton) said lawmakers will review the data before deciding what to do.

“Do we need to have these mandates? I don’t know… Are we putting our kids at risk unnecessarily? Maybe there’s only one vaccine that’s unneeded. I don’t know until we get the data,” Gossett-Seidman said.

Trump Weighs In

President Donald Trump has also signaled hesitation. Asked about the issue in the Oval Office, he praised vaccines like polio as “incredible” and warned against eliminating requirements wholesale.

“You have vaccines that work. They just pure and simple work. They’re not controversial at all. And I think those vaccines should be used,” Trump said.

What’s Next

The Department of Health has yet to release full details of the proposed rule change. DeSantis has promised lawmakers will take up a broader legislative package in the next session to fully repeal vaccine mandates.

If approved, Florida would become the first state in the nation to strike all immunization requirements from its laws. Supporters call the move a win for parental rights, while critics argue it could trigger dangerous outbreaks of preventable disease.

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