Florida continues to be a leader in the health freedom movement. Emphasizing “God-given” patient choice, Florida surgeon general Dr. Joseph Ladapo declared the state’s intent to eliminate all vaccine mandates.
Included vaccinations are those required for children to attend public schools — such as immunizations against measles, mumps, polio, chickenpox, and hepatitis B. This bold measure, announced at a September 3 press conference alongside Governor Ron DeSantis, marks Florida as the first U.S. state in modern history to abolish such mandates.
DeSantis proclaimed Florida “the national model for health freedom” because of its handling of the COVID-19 pandemic and because of its continuing commitment to promoting policies and laws that value medical freedom.
For over a century, vaccine mandates in schools have been one of the cornerstones of American public health. The Supreme Court upheld the authority of states to impose mandates as far back as 1905 in Jacobson v. Massachusetts. That precedent has rarely been questioned.
Advocating for the sacredness of bodily autonomy, Ladapo compared vaccine mandates to “slavery,” framing repeal as a profound moral and religious imperative based on parental choice and freedom to choose what “you put in your body.” He asserted that “every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” emphasizing that “our body is a gift from God.”
Ladapo explained that the Florida Department of Health can independently revoke several vaccine mandates via administrative rule changes, whereas others will require legislative approval. The process for administrative rule changes can take around 80 days once initiated.
According to reporting from governing.com and the Tampa Bay Times, “department rules require children to get four vaccines beyond what’s required in state law: Varicella, or chickenpox; Hepatitis B; Haemophilus influenzae type b, or Hib; and Pneumococcal conjugate, or PCV15/20.”
Ladapo’s announcement drew immediate disapproval from numerous public health professionals and political figures:
Dr. John Moore, Microbiology and Immunology professor at Weill Cornell Medicine, warned of potential fatalities, stating, “Florida's undertakers will now need to plan for the future by increasing their stocks of small coffins.”
Anna Eskamani, Democratic state representative, criticized the move as "a public health disaster in the making,” adding in her post on X that ending mandates “will drive down immunization rates & open the door to outbreaks of preventable diseases, putting children, seniors, and vulnerable Floridians at risk.”
Additional commentary from the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) echoed these concerns, warning that such dismantling of vaccine mandates undermines student safety, disrupts learning, and risks public health.
On the legislative side, DeSantis stated that the proposal would include “a big medical freedom package” for lawmakers, with Ladapo taking the lead. State statute requires immunizations for polio, diphtheria, measles (rubeola), rubella, pertussis, mumps, and tetanus.
DeSantis also referenced an upcoming “Make America Healthy Again” (MAHA) commission, which would guide further policy development along the lines of medical freedom and parental rights. The Florida MAHA Commission will prioritize reforms that empower Floridians, reduce regulatory burdens, and hold actors accountable for their conduct while fostering incentives for healthy living and innovation.
Serving on the Florida MAHA Commission will be Florida first lady Casey DeSantis as chair, co-chair Lieutenant Governor Jay Collins, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, and other unnamed experts in various health and medical fields, as reported by Fox13 Tampa Bay.
Florida is not completely alone in its pursuit of medical freedom measures. Louisiana also announced its intention to stop actively promoting vaccination in its public health messaging campaigns, a more passive approach but a change in policy nevertheless. In February 2025, Louisiana’s Department of Health, under surgeon general Dr. Ralph Abraham, declared that the state would no longer promote vaccination through public campaigns, school events, or media outreach.
Louisiana’s approach was arguably more passive because it did not dismantle mandates. Like in Florida, vaccines will still be available, but decisions will now be framed strictly as a matter of patient-doctor choice, with no state involvement or promotion. Abraham condemned “blanket government mandates” as “overreach” and emphasized personal autonomy over collective policy.
Ladapo’s announcement came one day before Health and Human Services secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. testified before the Senate Finance Committee. Senators grilled him on sweeping changes at HHS, including the removal of several senior officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
During the hearing, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) engaged in a heated exchange with RFK Jr. over vaccines. “I would say effectively we are denying people vaccine[s]” because of Kennedy’s policies, said Cassidy. Kennedy did not have time to respond fully, so he merely responded flatly with “You’re wrong.”
However, throughout the hearing, RFK Jr. repeatedly stated, wherever he could squeeze in two words, the need for an apolitical, pro-science approach to health, whether related to vaccines or other health-related decisions. Earlier this year, Cassidy “struggled” to confirm Kennedy for HHS secretary because of his differences over mandated vaccines. Cassidy also sits on the Senate Health Committee.
Attorney Aaron Siri, who has represented vaccine injury plaintiffs and advocates for informed consent, defended Florida’s policy. In a widely shared statement, he reminded critics, “You can still get as many vaccines as you want. All Florida is doing is giving everyone the freedom and liberty to make their own medical decisions — it is called informed consent.”
The distinction is important. Florida and Louisiana are not banning vaccines. Rather, they are stripping away government compulsion and, in Louisiana’s case, government encouragement.
Image: Ron DeSantis. Credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.