“The consequences will fall hardest on the most vulnerable. Childhood vaccination rates are already declining nationwide, and diseases once declared eliminated in the United States are returning…It is not a matter of if Florida will experience a major outbreak, but when.”
–Dr. Nancy Staats, M.D.
Florida Anti-vax politicians, including Gov. Ron DeSantis and his hand-picked, anti-science surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, have consistently attacked the effectiveness and safety of vaccines. Alarmingly, DeSantis and Ladapo have expressed a plan to eliminate all vaccine requirements from Florida law.
Now state lawmakers are considering legislation that, if passed, will put more Floridians’ health in jeopardy by significantly relaxing school vaccine requirements. If this bill becomes law, Florida will see much lower vaccination rates and more Floridians will succumb to avoidable disease, sickness, and death.
For school vaccines, Florida already allows medical and religious exemptions, but this bill would broaden that to philosophical exemptions, including conspiracy-driven ones, at a time when vaccination coverage — especially for measles — has dropped below the level necessary for herd immunity.
The bill, if enacted, would also create a bizarre new rule: parents who follow the advice of pediatricians will be required to receive a handout about the risks, while those choosing to block vaccines for their kids will get a link about the risks they may or may not ever see.
It’s no coincidence that, as politicians like DeSantis and Ladapo spread vaccine disinformation, Florida is facing the largest measles outbreak in recent history. Measles was declared eliminated in Florida in 2000, but thanks to the anti-vax movement, we now have the 3rd highest number of measles patients in the nation.
Help stop this legislation that puts Floridians’ health at risk and is overwhelmingly opposed by the medical community.
Tell your state senator: protect Floridians’ health and oppose SB 1756.
Thank you for being a part of our network and for standing up for public health.
Mark and the Progress Florida team
P.S. – Want to learn more? Here’s a good read on what’s at stake by Dr. Staats:
Florida will suffer from decreased vaccine access — where are our leaders?