Florida continues taking shots at vaccine mandates

Lazaro Aleman editor@riverbendnews.org Florida continues its efforts to end all state vaccine mandates, including for schools, a major shift announced by Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo in September of 2025. The goal is to make the state the first to do so by removing requirements for diseases such as measles, polio and chickenpox. However, some medical experts voice serious concerns about potential outbreaks. While Florida already banned COVID-19 vaccine mandates, this broader action targets long- standing childhood immunization requirements, with the Department of Health beginning rulemaking and legislative action needed for full implementation. Florida's Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Lad