• Posted September 4, 2025

Florida Plans To End All Vaccine Mandates

Florida may soon become the first state in the U.S. to eliminate all vaccine mandates, a major shift in health policy that may increase risk of disease outbreaks.

The plan was announced this week by State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who described current vaccine rules as "immoral."

“People have a right to make their own informed decisions,” Ladapo said at a news conference. “They don’t have the right to tell you what to put in your body.”

If approved, the policy would represent a big shift from decades of public health guidance. For years, vaccines have been considered the safest and most effective way to stop the spread of contagious diseases, especially in schools, The Associated Press reported.

Many health officials say the move is extremely risky.

“When everyone in a school is vaccinated, it is harder for diseases to spread and easier for everyone to continue learning and having fun,” Dr. Rana Alissa, chair of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told The AP.

“When children are sick and miss school, caregivers also miss work, which not only impacts those families but also the local economy,” she added.

The American Medical Association (AMA) also urged Florida to reconsider, warning the plan “would undermine decades of public health progress," The AP reported.

“While there is still time, we urge Florida to reconsider this change to help prevent a rise of infectious disease outbreaks that put health and lives at risk,” Dr. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer, an AMA trustee, said.

The proposal dovetails with more controversy over vaccine policy at the state level. 

On Wednesday, the governors of Washington, Oregon and California announced a new alliance to protect vaccine access and maintain health guidelines based on recommendations from national medical organizations, The AP reported.

Globally, vaccines have saved an estimated 154 million lives over the last 50 years, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

“Vaccines are among the most powerful inventions in history, making once-feared diseases preventable,” WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus told The AP.

Ladapo did not provide a timeline for removing Florida’s vaccine mandates. He said the state health department could scrap requirements on its own, but others would require approval from the Florida Legislature.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has more vaccine information for adults.

SOURCE: The Associated Press, Sept. 3, 2025