ORLANDO, Fla. — Florida ranks fifth in the nation for the most measles cases, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
On July 24, the CDC announced the highest number of cases the country has seen since 1992.
Dr. Hernando Cardona, who runs Pediatrics of Greater Orlando, said he hasn’t seen a case of measles at his clinic, but he witnessed the disease while working in Colombia.
“It was pretty bad,” he said. “Most cases don’t go into encephalitis or anything like this, but when it does, it’s bad.”
Florida has a lower rate of vaccination than most states, with 88.8% of kindergarteners inoculated against measles in 2025, according to the CDC’s most recent data.
The CDC recorded 141 cases in Florida near the end of July.
“I am an advocate for the vaccine, but if some families don’t want to do the vaccine, it’s well within their rights,” Cardona said.
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo was in Orlando on July 24 and spoke about the outbreak in Collier County. He emphasized people’s right to exemptions but backed the vaccine.
“This one happens to be effective against measles, and people should be able to have the information about the vaccine and about the disease and be able to come to a decision without any coercion,” he said.
Orange County has only seen four cases in the past 10 years, according to Florida Department of Health data, but three were confirmed in the past 12 months.
Cardona said the first dose children get when they’re around 12 months old is 93% effective, and the second dose they get going into kindergarten is 99% effective.