Make America Have Polio Again

Florida plans to end all vaccine mandates, including for children

Florida is set to become the first state to get rid of all vaccine requirements, even for kids in school, ending a practice that public health experts say has helped keep infectious diseases in check for decades.

Every state already allows medical exemptions, and most also permit personal or religious ones, making Florida’s move less about preference and more about politics.

Health Impact

According to the CDC, routine childhood vaccines have been a lifesaver for generations, preventing 508 million cases of illness, 32 million hospitalizations, and more than 1 million deaths among people born between 1994 and 2023.

Experts say these vaccines remain one of the most effective tools in protecting public health and keeping communities safe.

As Representative Anna Eskamani said, “Ending vaccine mandates is reckless and dangerous. It will drive down immunization rates and open the door to outbreaks of preventable diseases, putting children, seniors, and vulnerable Floridians at risk.”

But it doesn’t stop there.

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who appointed Dr. Ladapo as Surgeon General in 2021, has also launched a commission to align Florida’s health policies with the agenda of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Trump’s Health and Human Services secretary and a well-known vaccine skeptic.

This week's episode of Okay, But Why is about RFK Jr.'s obsession with autism, including his factually incorrect thoughts about vaccines. He promised to "reveal the cause of autism" by the end of September, but many autism advocates are worried that his announcement will spread more disinformation and stigma.

Tune in to learn the truth about what we know (and don't know) about autism on Wednesday.