On Wednesday, Sept. 3, the Florida Surgeon General, Joseph A. Ladapo, announced in a news conference that Florida would be ending all vaccine mandates across the state. The announcement received a standing ovation at the conference but has since received criticism from medical organizations.
“Who am I as a government or anyone else, or who am I as a man standing here now to tell you what to do with your body?” Ladapo said.
Ladapo says that the Department of Health will be working with Governor Ron DeSantis to end these requirements. DeSantis has expressed his support for the plan in his own statements.
“Medical freedom is something we’ve got to be very conscientious about protecting,” DeSantis said regarding the mandates being stripped.
Ladapo emphasized this in his meeting, saying that the state’s current vaccine requirements were immoral. “Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” Ladapo stated.
‘Make America Healthy Again’
Also announced on Wednesday was the creation of Florida’s own ‘Make America Healthy Again’ commission, modeled after the federal Make America Healthy Again Commission. The federal commission, formed in February 2025, is led by Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
This same day, an internal document from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) showed that Kennedy had chosen seven new members for the CDC’s panel of vaccine experts, Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).
Previously, this move would require final approval by the CDC director; however, CDC Director Susan Monarez was fired the week before this move after resisting changes to vaccine policy. This sparked resignations from three other CDC officials, who cited anti-vaccine policies being pushed by Kennedy.
Monarez, through a spokesperson, said that she was asked to rubber-stamp the recommendations made by Kennedy. The new APIC members are set to meet on Sept. 18, where they may vote on vaccine policies.
Florida’s Vaccine Mandates
Currently, all U.S. states have vaccine mandates to attend public schools, with specifications varying by state. Florida’s current vaccine mandates require vaccinations for measles, chickenpox, hepatitis B, Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP), polio, and other diseases.
According to federal data released by the CDC in July, vaccine rates for kindergarten-age children across the country have been declining.
“The more these rates continue to drop, the more danger we’re in of seeing outbreaks like we saw in Texas,” said Dr. Adam Ratner, a pediatric infectious disease expert in New York City, referencing the measles outbreak in Texas. According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, 762 measles cases have been confirmed in the state since the start of 2025.
Ladapo’s announcement has received mixed feedback, with many critics citing the possibility of more outbreaks like that in Texas.
The Responses
The American Medical Association (AMA) released a statement following the announcement opposing the move.
“This unprecedented rollback would undermine decades of public health progress and place children and communities at increased risk for diseases such as measles, mumps, polio, and chickenpox, resulting in serious illness, disability, and even death,” wrote Dr. Sandra Adamson Fryhofer for the AMA. “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.”
Similarly, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) released an article expressing concern for the health of public school children.
“When everyone in a school is vaccinated, it’s harder for diseases to spread, and easier for everyone to keep the fun and learning going,” said Dr. Susan J. Kressly, AAP President.“When children are sick and miss school, parents also miss work, which not only impacts those families but also the local economy. We are concerned that today’s announcement … will put children in Florida public schools at higher risk for getting sick, and have ripple effects across their community.”
It is unclear when Florida’s mandates will no longer be in effect.
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