09/04/2025
Florida has just put a target on every child in this country. If you don’t think these childhood diseases exist, go visit Africa, South Asia, Malaysia, Indonesia even Europe and Central Asia. The petty politicians of Florida are endangered all Americans. Forrest Gump said it best “Stupid is what Stupid does.”
As a pediatrician in Florida, I’m alarmed and outraged by today’s announcement:
Florida plans to eliminate all childhood vaccine mandates, including those for measles, polio, chickenpox, hepatitis B, and more, becoming the first U.S. state to fully reject school immunization requirements.
The state’s Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo, even likened these mandates to “slavery” and labeled them “immoral intrusions” on parental and bodily autonomy.
This isn’t just reckless, it’s downright dangerous.
National and Florida-specific data show:
- For the 2024–25 school year, about 5.1% of Florida kindergartners , roughly 11,287 children, were already exempted from one or more vaccines. That’s second only to Texas in total number.
- Immunization rates among U.S. kindergartners have slipped well below the 95% threshold critical for herd immunity, while measles cases have reached levels not seen since before its eradication in 2000.
- The CDC estimates that childhood vaccines have prevented over a million deaths and saved trillions of dollars in medical costs since the mid-1990s.
Worst-case scenario?
Our children could suffer the return of devastating, vaccine-preventable diseases: measles, polio, whooping cough, rubella, a resurgence that could lead to illnesses, hospitalizations, long-term complications, and even deaths.
This rollback could cascade:
1. Outbreaks in schools would quickly spread to homes—impacting infants, immunocompromised people, and elderly family members.
2. Florida’s status as a major travel and tourist hub means these diseases won’t stay within state lines.
3. We could see a multi‐generational health catastrophe, undoing decades of public health progress.
Let’s be clear: As pediatricians in this state, and especially here on my page, we will not stay quiet.
We will keep fighting for science-based care and evidence-driven policy.
This page remains a trusted hub where you can find reliable, peer-reviewed data, vaccine safety information, and truthful explanations to keep your children safe, healthy, and alive.
And yes, I’ll always back up every statement with transparent, evidence-based proof.
Finally, we must address the troubling political backdrop: the Attorney General has consistently embraced conspiracy theories and misinformation, often pushing them for personal gain. That is unacceptable. We will stand firm, united as pediatricians, relying on science, not disinformation, to protect our kids.
Thank you for being here. I promise to continue providing clarity, care, and truth, because our children’s lives depend on it.
Full article here 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻
https://apnews.com/article/florida-childhood-vaccines-mandate-eliminate-desantis-363323dcdd3811ca9ad7def5f9a30fb2
