Florida Republicans Have Weakened Vaccine Protections for Children, But Not as Much as Anticipated.
A bill introduced by Jacksonville state senator Clay Yarborough passed a critical committee vote on Monday, expanding exemptions for parents who do not want their school-age children vaccinated. The proposed new law would allow "conscience" as an additional reason for opting out of vaccinations, in addition to existing exemptions based on religious grounds.
Under the bill, medical providers would need to inform parents and caregivers about the risks, benefits, safety, and efficacy of each vaccine being administered using materials provided by state-run medical boards. While some Republicans joined Democrats in criticizing the bill, saying it will create problems for children and seniors who cannot be vaccinated.
In September last year, Florida's surgeon general Joseph Ladapo announced that he expected lawmakers to choose a side on vaccinations, sparking outrage among public health experts. He claimed that compulsory vaccination mandates were "wrong and drips with disdain and slavery". However, this week's bill appears to indicate that Republicans have chosen not to support the surgeon general's sweeping anti-vaccine agenda.
Florida has already seen an increase in cases of preventable diseases such as measles, which have been reported three times so far this year. Critics argue that the state's health secretary Robert F Kennedy's federal-level rejection of immunizations and pursuit of a science-free health agenda are causing concern among medical professionals.
"We're about to go down a road that's going to create a major problem for children," said Gayle Harrell, a Republican senator who opposed the bill. "I don't want to go back to medical school to learn how to treat polio."
The push for weakened vaccine protections has parallels with federal-level rejection of immunizations and pursuit of a science-free health agenda by Robert F Kennedy and his predecessor Dr Scott Rivkees as Florida surgeon general, who warned that the state's policy is flawed and overwhelming rejected by the public.
A bill introduced by Jacksonville state senator Clay Yarborough passed a critical committee vote on Monday, expanding exemptions for parents who do not want their school-age children vaccinated. The proposed new law would allow "conscience" as an additional reason for opting out of vaccinations, in addition to existing exemptions based on religious grounds.
Under the bill, medical providers would need to inform parents and caregivers about the risks, benefits, safety, and efficacy of each vaccine being administered using materials provided by state-run medical boards. While some Republicans joined Democrats in criticizing the bill, saying it will create problems for children and seniors who cannot be vaccinated.
In September last year, Florida's surgeon general Joseph Ladapo announced that he expected lawmakers to choose a side on vaccinations, sparking outrage among public health experts. He claimed that compulsory vaccination mandates were "wrong and drips with disdain and slavery". However, this week's bill appears to indicate that Republicans have chosen not to support the surgeon general's sweeping anti-vaccine agenda.
Florida has already seen an increase in cases of preventable diseases such as measles, which have been reported three times so far this year. Critics argue that the state's health secretary Robert F Kennedy's federal-level rejection of immunizations and pursuit of a science-free health agenda are causing concern among medical professionals.
"We're about to go down a road that's going to create a major problem for children," said Gayle Harrell, a Republican senator who opposed the bill. "I don't want to go back to medical school to learn how to treat polio."
The push for weakened vaccine protections has parallels with federal-level rejection of immunizations and pursuit of a science-free health agenda by Robert F Kennedy and his predecessor Dr Scott Rivkees as Florida surgeon general, who warned that the state's policy is flawed and overwhelming rejected by the public.
just think about it - 1 in 5 children in FL still hasn't gotten their first dose of MMR vaccine 
this is crazy! did you know that only 65% of kids aged 5-11 have completed their full series of recommended vaccines 
meanwhile, we're seeing an uptick in cases of measles 
and whooping cough 
it's like the state is playing with fire 
. Like, if parents don't want their kids vaccinated, they should be able to make that choice without all these strings attached. The government's always trying to control everything, but sometimes it's good to let people have a say in what goes into their bodies 
. And honestly, vaccines aren't 100% effective, so I think it's cool that there's some wiggle room for parents who are just trying to make informed decisions about their kids' health. The fact that the state is forcing docs to give them all these warnings sounds like a total overreach, if you ask me 
.
this bill isn't as bad as everyone was thinking it could be... i mean florida has already seen like 3 cases of measles this year so yeah the state needs to do something about that 
I'm kinda surprised they didn't make this bill super strict, considering all those cases of measles and stuff... it's like, what's the point of even having a law if it's just gonna be watered down? 
... This law is going to create a nightmare for them. I can just imagine my own little ones getting sick because their parents are too scared to get them vaccinated 
. It's like, what kind of world are we living in where we have to worry about our kids' health? 
Let's think about all the people who can't get vaccinated, like those with weakened immune systems. This law is just going to put them at risk too 
...
. I wish lawmakers would take a closer look at the science behind vaccinations and consider the impact on public health 
.
but for real though kids are gonna be at risk if we dont vaccinate them, its sad to see republicans trying to play both sides on this one 
. What if some parents are just using it as an excuse because they don't want their kid vaccinated? 
It's not like vaccines are optional; we know how diseases can spread quickly 
It's already seeing a rise in preventable diseases like measles. We need to support public health, not undermine it 
. I hope lawmakers will reconsider this bill before it becomes law 
.
. I get why some parents might want an exemption, especially if they're concerned about their child's health or have a weird allergy or whatever, but this "conscience" thing is just too loosey-goosey IMHO 
. It's like, what's the harm in making parents sign off on vaccine info anyway? And don't even get me started on Robert F Kennedy and his crew - they're basically saying science isn't science anymore... I mean, what's next, denying climate change or something? 
. Too much wiggle room for parents to opt out will lead to outbreaks 
I mean, what's next? Are we gonna let polio come back? 
. We need to stand up for science and for the kids who can't defend themselves. Vaccines matter! 
, right? We think we've got this whole vaccine thing figured out, but then we go and water down the protections 
. I mean, what's next? Are we just gonna let the measles come on in and party 
? 
, and that's scary 
.
, but when it comes to something as serious as vaccine mandates, we gotta put public health first 
. We can't just let our emotions get in the way of making informed decisions 
. We need to find a middle ground that works for everyone 
, and if we don't take care of ourselves, how can we expect anyone else to? 
. I know some folks were worried it would've allowed for full-on opt-out policies, but at least there's still some semblance of vaccine education going on. I mean, it's not perfect, but it's a step in the right direction? Maybe we can all just agree to get our kids vaccinated and leave it at that 
. It's wild how one state senator even said they'd have to go back to medical school to learn how to treat polio... like, what even is that? 
and I'm still on a food coma 
... have you guys tried that new ramen shop near Shibuya? It's literally life-changing! 
I was talking to my friend about it and we were both like, "We need to go back there again, pronto!" 
Anyway, back to this vaccine thing... I don't know, man... I just think it's crazy that our bodies are basically like, "Hey, we've got this whole immune system thing down" 
Vaccines are like memes, everyone gets it but some people still refuse to believe 
I'm really disappointed in this new bill. Like, come on! You're telling me that parents can just opt out of vaccines because it goes against their conscience? What about the rest of us who don't have a problem with getting vaccinated? It's not like we're forcing kids to get shots or anything. And what about all those preventable diseases that are already making a comeback in Florida? It's just not rational. 
it's like they're playing with fire here! vaccine protections for kids are already super thin in some states but weakening them more? no thanks 
what if we don't have a strong enough immune system against preventable diseases? like, measles is already making a comeback here?! 
shouldn't they be focusing on finding solutions rather than playing politics over our health