On September 3, 2025, Dr. Joseph A. Ladapo, Florida’s surgeon general, announced plans to end all vaccine mandates in the state of Florida, including vaccination requirements set for schoolchildren. While earlier efforts in Florida have focused on banning COVID-19 vaccinations for children, this new effort will be the first in the country to stop requiring vaccinations for children enrolling and attending school. This decision follows a recent drop in Florida’s kindergarten vaccination rates to 88.7% in 2025, a 4.8% decrease from 93.5% in 2020. 

The Proposed Changes

Current guidelines in Florida for school and daycare require 7 vaccinations: Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP), Inactivated polio vaccine (IPV), Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), Varicella (chickenpox), Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib), Pneumococcal conjugate (PCV15/20), and Hepatitis B (Hep B). The Florida’s Department of Health aims to first eliminate mandates for Varicella, Hib, Hep B, and pneumococcal vaccinations with plans to seek legislative approval to end vaccine mandates for polio, MMR, and DTaP.

The Role of Vaccines

Vaccinations have long provided protection for communities worldwide, accounting for over 150 million lives saved in the past 50 years according to recent research published in the Lancet. As a cornerstone in maintaining herd immunity, vaccinations are crucial in protecting vulnerable populations such as the elderly, immunocompromised, pregnant individuals, and children. By vaccinating a large portion of the population, diseases are less likely to spread to subsets of the population who may not be able to get vaccinated themselves. 

Potential Public Health Risks

Rolling back several decades of strong immunization policies could lead to a resurgence of preventable infections such as pneumonia, hepatitis B, and measles in patients of all ages. Elimination of these mandates poses undue risk of infection for common, but deadly diseases, especially in a state where one in five adults are over the age of 65. For example, Texas has seen measles infections in unvaccinated communities where over 750 people became infected. This policy change will also inject uncertainty for parents entrusting their children to schools and for future insurance coverage for vaccinations. In response to recent national policy changes at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention aimed at weakening immunization recommendations, some states have formed alliances to issue evidence-based, public health guidance aligned with national medical associations. 

Call for Action

National APAMSA strongly condemns any attempt to undo decades of evidence-based vaccination mandates. As mentioned in our policy compendium, APAMSA remains focused on promoting vaccinations as a safe and effective way to prevent disease. We urge health care professionals including physicians and medical students, policymakers, parents, and other stakeholders to remain steadfast in protecting vaccine mandates through education and advocacy.