Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and state Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo have announced that they will work to phase out all childhood vaccine mandates in the state.
Ladapo declared at a press conference, “every single one of them. They’re all wrong,” which drew a standing ovation from the audience. Ladapo questioned the government’s authority to make personal health decisions, saying “who am I—or anyone else—to tell you what has to go into your body? Who am I to say what your child must take? That’s not my right.”
Ladapo described mandates as an “immoral” intrusion on people’s rights bordering on “slavery,” and hampers parents’ ability to make health decisions for their children. He said: “People have a right to make their own decisions, informed decisions. They don’t have the right to tell you what to put in your body. Take it away from them.”
The Florida Department of Health will move forward on this plan in coordination with the governor’s office, according to Ladapo, adding that the state Health Department can scrap its own rules for some vaccine mandates, but others would require action by the Florida Legislature.
Currently, Florida law requires children attending public schools to be vaccinated against several diseases, with those guidelines listed on the state health department’s website. Ladapo emphasized, however, that the state is not banning vaccines: “If you choose to get vaccinated, that’s your decision, and I hope it’s an informed one. If you choose not to, that’s also your decision. That’s how it should be.”
Gov. DeSantis also announced on Wednesday the creation of a state-level “Make America Healthy Again” commission modeled after similar initiatives launched at the federal level by President Trump, and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The commission will be led by First Lady Casey DeSantis and Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, with members including Ladapo, Agency for Health Care Administration Secretary Shevaun Harris, and Department of Children and Families Secretary Taylor Hatch. According to DeSantis, the commission will “prioritize reforms that give Floridians more control over their health, cut red tape, hold bad actors accountable, and promote healthier lifestyles and innovation.”
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