Florida surgeon general defends unprecedented plan to dismantle school vaccine mandates

Florida's top health official is challenging decades of public health policy, defending his plan to roll back vaccine mandates for children in the state. 

In a joint news conference with Governor Ron DeSantis last week, Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo announced a proposal to eliminate requirements for several vaccines, giving parents sole authority over whether their children are immunized.

"We were moving to help create a state where people are no longer forced to put vaccines in their children's bodies because there's a mandate," Ladapo said Tuesday on the "Will Cain Country" podcast.

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"People are welcome to put them in their bodies, but you shouldn't be forced to do that."

Florida could become the first state in the nation to roll back long-standing vaccine requirements for schoolchildren. Under current law, students must be immunized against a range of communicable diseases before they can attend class, including polio, diphtheria, measles, mumps, rubella, tetanus and other communicable diseases. 

However, parents may request exemptions for religious reasons.

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Ladapo argued parents should have the freedom to decide up front, not have to fight for it.

"You can provide parents with information and let parents take care of their kids and make decisions," he said.

Ladapo said the first vaccines to be dropped could include hepatitis B, chickenpox, pneumococcal conjugate and Haemophilus influenzae.

He criticized certain vaccines as unnecessary, pointing to hepatitis B as an example. Hepatitis B is an infection that is often linked to drug use and sexual activity. Despite the possibility of it being transmitted perinatally, Ladapo argues the vaccine for it should not be required for infants.

"You absolutely don't need to do that in a country where hepatitis B rates in general are low. And, by the way, moms get tested before they give birth, so it's just a lot of nonsense," he said.

Ladapo also dismissed the chickenpox vaccine as excessive.

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The plan has drawn criticism from both Democrats and Republicans, who argue it could put schoolchildren at risk. Major medical groups have also opposed the change.

The American Academy of Pediatrics warned the move could have "ripple effects" throughout communities. The American Medical Association noted it "strongly opposes Florida's plan to end all vaccine mandates," arguing it would undermine decades of public health progress and raise the risk of serious illness, disability or death among young people.

President Donald Trump urged caution on the issue.

"You have some vaccines that are so incredible, and I think you have to be very careful when you say that some people don't have to be vaccinated. It's a very tough position … it's a tough stance," Trump said Friday.

Ladapo has tied his argument to the government's role in public health, saying that even if the vaccines were proven completely effective, his stance would not change.

Critics of the plan warn that rolling back requirements could open the door to preventable outbreaks. But Ladapo said he is "fully confident" any rise in infections would be manageable. He noted that countries like Sweden, Denmark and the United Kingdom do not have mandates.