Joseph Ladapo says Florida plans to end statewide vaccine mandates, experts raise public health concerns

Florida vaccine mandates: Florida will end all vaccine mandates, including those required for children to attend public schools, the state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, announced Wednesday at a press conference in Tampa, as per a report. The plan is backed by Governor Ron DeSantis and Ladapo criticized the mandates, comparing them to "slavery", as reported by Reuters.

Florida's Joseph Ladapo Compares Vaccine Mandates to "Slavery"

Ladapo said, "Every last one of the them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery," adding, "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?" as quoted in the report. He also said, "Medical freedom is something we've got to be very conscientious about protecting," as quoted in the Reuters report.

However, he did not provide specifics or a timeline for the changes, as per the Reuters report.


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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Backs Anti-Mandate Plan

Governor DeSantis has made opposition to COVID-19 mandates and precautions a central tenet of his first term in office and even Ladapo has also previously urged to end the use of mRNA COVID-19 vaccines and called on communities to stop adding fluoride to drinking water, as per the report.

Vaccine Rates Dropping Nationally Amid Measles Outbreak

Ladapo's announcement comes amid declining vaccination rates among kindergartners across the United States, as per Reuters. Federal data found that vaccination coverage for diseases such as measles, diphtheria, and polio decreased in the 2024–25 school year, as reported by Reuters.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the new data in July, when there was a growing measles outbreak, with confirmed cases that month reaching the highest level since the disease was declared eliminated in the US in 2000, as reported by Reuters.

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Public Health Experts Warn of Severe Consequences

Meanwhile, Florida's plan for removal of vaccine mandates was quickly condemned by public health experts, who warned that the move could trigger severe outbreaks among children, tourists and those with compromised immune systems, as per the report.

The president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, Dr. Tina Tan, highlighted that Florida's plan to end the mandate would result in a major drop in vaccination rates, according to the report.

She pointed out that, "You're going to get multiple outbreaks of vaccine-preventable disease and spread of these diseases," adding, "These kids are going to bring it home," as quoted in the Reuters report.

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Tan even said that in case Florida follows through with dropping all vaccine mandates, it could also impact vaccination requirements at daycares or other places that require inoculations, as quoted in the report.

She also highlighted that this move could also put people who are immunocompromised and unable to get vaccinated at risk of disease and death, and because Florida is a major vacation destination, the move could spread diseases to other states, reported Reuters. Tan said, "It's going to be a major disaster," as quoted in the report.

An infectious disease expert at the University of Minnesota, Dr. Michael Osterholm, called the decision "reckless," saying that, "Every parent of a child who dies or who is hospitalized with a vaccine-preventable disease will know exactly why," as quoted by Reuters.

FAQs

What did Florida say about vaccines?
Florida's Surgeon General said the state will remove all vaccine mandates, including those for school attendance, as per a Reuters report.

What do doctors think about this plan?
Many doctors and health experts have spoken out against it, calling it dangerous and “reckless”, as per a Reuters report.