Florida Seeks To End All Vaccine Mandates, Fueling Public Health Concerns
📝 usncan Note: Florida Seeks To End All Vaccine Mandates, Fueling Public Health Concerns
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Anti-vaccine rally protesters hold signs outside of Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston, Texas, on June 26, 2021. – A spokesperson for Houston Methodist Hospital said on June 23, 153 employees either resign or were fired for refusing to be vaccinated. (Photo by Mark Felix / AFP) (Photo by MARK FELIX/AFP /AFP via Getty Images)
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Florida’s Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo as well as Governor Desantis seek to end all vaccine mandates for children in school, according to a recent joint announcement. This would mean getting vaccinated against many infectious deadly diseases such as polio, measles, mumps, hepatitis and chickenpox would no longer be required before entering elementary schools. Florida officials did not give specific details on when exactly the mandates would end for school children.
“All of them. All of them,” Florida Surgeon General Ladapo stated during a press conference Wednesday. “Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” he stated while addressing the vaccine mandates.
For some, the move could be viewed as “medical freedom” as critics of vaccines have historically viewed vaccine mandates as an overreach of government autonomy. As Ladapo said during the news conference, “Who am I to tell you what your child should put in [their]
body? I don’t have that right.”
Public health experts, however, feel differently. Dr. Susan Kressly, president of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said, “We are concerned that today’s announcement by Gov. Desantis will put children in Florida public schools at higher risk for getting sick, and have ripple effects across their community.”
The decision in Florida could have profound public health effects not just in Florida, but throughout all of the United States. Infectious diseases do not have borders, and an outbreak of a disease in Florida could easily spread to neighboring states if not contained and controlled. Diseases such as polio and measles are deadly and can result in serious health complications. Polio can result in inflammation of the lining of the brain, permanent paralysis and breathing difficulties. Measles can result in infection of the lung, or pneumonia as well as swelling of the brain which is known as encephalitis.
In addition, the move of ending vaccine mandates could further ignite vaccine hesitancy, which has already been a problem in America. As an example, consider the measles outbreak that occurred earlier this year in Texas that involved more than 750 cases and claimed the lives of at least two children. The outbreaks in Texas were fueled largely by vaccine hesitancy, with kindergarten vaccine rates of 82% at the epicenter of the outbreak. For successful containment of measles, vaccination rates should be 95% in order to prevent the spread of the deadly virus.
If Florida moves forward with vaccine mandates, vaccine rates for childhood vaccines will undoubtedly be affected which could result in a resurgence of preventable infectious diseases. This ultimately means more children will get sick and some may possibly lose their life.
The language used by Ladapo also casts doubts on vaccines, with the Florida Surgeon General likening vaccines to slavery. Slavery was an institution that dehumanized Black Americans and has traditionally been regarded by many as one of the darkest points in American history. By comparing or likening vaccine mandates to slavery, the Florida Surgeon General moves the debate from health to politics and emotion. The end result could undermine public trust in vaccines for the general public.
From a public health perspective, vaccines have been lifesaving. Global immunization efforts have saved at least 154 million lives in the last 50 years, according to the World Health Organization. In addition, about 4 million deaths are prevented worldwide each year by childhood vaccinations, according to the CDC.
Florida’s decision marks a turning point in American public health policy. Florida would become the first state to officially ban vaccine mandates if the proposed legislation goes through. The news reflects the broader societal struggle over the role of government, science and the freedom to make individual choices. If vaccine coverage in Florida drops significantly, the state could see the return of preventable illnesses, and the ultimate cost of choosing freedom over mandates will be measured ultimately with public health outcomes.
