Florida proposal would remove 4 vaccines from school entry requirements
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. —
The Florida Department of Health is proposing a change to the vaccine entry requirements for K-12 students, eliminating four vaccines.
The proposal would eliminate school entry requirements for vaccines against hepatitis B, chickenpox, Haemophilus influenzae type b and pneumococcal disease. Other vaccinations required under state law would remain in place.
The change is part of a broader effort by Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo to eliminate vaccine mandates in Florida.
“Parents should have the ability and the power to decide what goes into their children’s bodies,” Ladapo said.
Dr. Scott Rivkees, a pediatrician, former Florida surgeon general and health secretary, warned that removing the requirements could place children, their families and the wider community at risk.
“If you start peeling back these vaccines, which are not simple diseases — these are very serious — it not only makes children at risk, but also makes other people in the family at risk and makes the general population at risk for these vaccine-preventable illnesses,” Rivkees said.
Rivkees said the consequences could become clear if vaccination rates fall and preventable diseases spread.
“When we start seeing children getting ill, friends and neighbors getting hospitalized, people are going to say, ‘What are we doing here?’” he said.
The proposal would also broaden exemptions based on religious beliefs to include “moral” or “ethical” objections.
Another provision would allow college and university students ages 18 through 23 who receive vaccinations at campus health centers or clinics to decline participation in Florida SHOTS, the state’s immunization registry.
Opponents of the changes say vaccines are a critical tool for preventing serious illnesses and keeping children out of hospitals.
“We know how to keep children safe,” Rivkees said. “We know how to keep children out of the hospital. We know how to keep communities safe. And this is such an incredibly important pillar.”
The state has opened a 21-day public comment period on the proposal. Comments must be submitted by Sept. 14.
After the comment period closes, the proposal will require final approval before it can take effect.