Florida rule to drop some school vaccine mandates delayed about 90 days and would not cover measles or polio
State health department says the change announced by Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo would remove mandates for chickenpox, hepatitis B, Hib, influenza and pneumococcal vaccines but leave other school-required shots in place
Florida’s plan to make certain childhood vaccinations voluntary and drop related school-entry mandates will not take effect for about 90 days and would apply to a limited set of diseases, the state health department said Sunday.
The department said it initiated the rule change on Sept. 3, 2025, and does not expect the change to be effective for approximately 90 days. The rule, as described by the department, would lift mandates for hepatitis B, chickenpox, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), influenza and pneumococcal diseases such as meningitis. Vaccinations required under state law for measles, polio, diphtheria, pertussis, mumps and tetanus would remain in place unless changed by future legislation, the department said. The public school year in Florida began in August.
The announcement follows earlier comments by Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, who said the state would become the first to make childhood vaccinations voluntary and leave the decision to families. Appearing Sunday on CNN, Ladapo said, "If you want them, God bless, you can have as many as you want. And if you don’t want them, parents should have the ability and the power to decide what goes into their children’s bodies. It’s that simple," according to a transcript of the interview.
Florida currently provides a religious exemption for school vaccine requirements. The health department’s email to The Associated Press clarified that changes beyond the diseases listed would require action by lawmakers or further administrative rulemaking. The state legislature is not scheduled to reconvene until January 2026, though committee meetings begin in October.
Public health experts and pediatricians warned that making vaccines voluntary would increase risk to students and school staff. Dr. Rana Alissa, chair of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said such a move "puts students and school staff at risk." The World Health Organization reported in 2024 that vaccines have saved at least 154 million lives worldwide over the past 50 years, the majority among infants and children.
Health officials highlighted national disease trends as context for the debate. The United States has reported its worst year for measles in more than three decades, with more than 1,400 confirmed cases nationwide, most in Texas, and three deaths. Whooping cough, or pertussis, has also surged; preliminary Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data showed more than 19,000 cases as of Aug. 23, an increase of roughly 2,000 from the same time last year, and states including Louisiana and Washington have reported infant and child deaths this season.
The decision in Florida represents a retreat from decades of public policy that has relied on school vaccine requirements to limit the spread of communicable disease. The move has drawn broader attention amid a national environment in which some prominent figures have expressed skepticism about vaccines; notes on the issue point to expressed doubts by U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
State officials did not provide a timeline for extending the change to additional diseases and said any expansion would depend on further administrative or legislative action. Parents, school officials and public health advocates will be watching upcoming committee meetings in October and the legislature’s 2026 session for potential changes to state vaccination policy.