Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Credit: Ron DeSantis/Facebook
After the legislative session ended Friday, Gov. Ron DeSantis criticized the House for failing to expand vaccine exemptions for public K-12 students.
“It seems to me you’re fumbling right on the goal line here,” DeSantis said. “Punch it in for the touchdown and get it done. I know a lot of people in Florida really want to see these protections written into law.”
But DeSantis praised Senate President Ben Albritton, R-Wauchula, for successfully getting the bill through the Senate, and said there would be more “opportunities” to tackle the issue.
The bill (SB 1756) is dead, but efforts to expand vaccine exemptions could make a comeback during budget talks.
“That is a decision the Legislature will make, and we’ll see,” Albritton told reporters.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Clay Yarborough, R-Jacksonville, would have expanded vaccine exemptions for public K-12 schools and create a new “conscience” category for parents to opt out of immunizations.
Parents’ rights advocates heavily supported the measure, but pediatricians and health care practitioners deemed it irresponsible, warning of the dangers the bill could cause.
Florida is experiencing a measles outbreak, with the majority of cases in Collier County. As of March 7, 132 cases have been reported this year. Last year, Florida reported only seven.
The measure also would have required health care practitioners who administer vaccines to offer parents an alternative vaccine schedule and to provide parents with information about the benefits and risks of vaccines at the time of vaccination.
The bill still stopped short of what DeSantis and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo originally asked for: repealing all vaccine mandates in the state.
The bill did contain a measure backed by DeSantis that would have allowed pharmacists to provide ivermectin, an anti-parasitic drug often prescribed for animals, over-the-counter to adults without a prescription.
The drug is seen by some as helpful against COVID-19, but medical professionals have warned against its use to combat the virus. Pharmacists would be given immunity from liability under the bill.
Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.
Subscribe to Creative Loafing newsletters.
Follow us: Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | BlueSky
This article appears in Mar. 12 – 18, 2026.
Related