Gov. Ron DeSantis says he's anti-mandate, not anti-vaccine. His comments on Monday come after high-ranking Republicans opposed his plan to end shot requirements schoolchildren in the state.
Last week, DeSantis announced plans to roll back all vaccine mandates, including immunizations for school enrollment. Florida would become the first state to make vaccinations voluntary, and parents or guardians would decide whether to inoculate their children.
It's a change from decades of public policy and research that has shown vaccines to be safe and the most effective way to stop the spread of communicable diseases, especially among children.
"Look, you have vaccines that work," said President Donald Trump on Friday at the White House. "They just pure and simple work. They're not controversial at all, and I think those vaccines should be used; otherwise, some people are going to catch it, and they endanger other people."
Trump said he thought the polio and COVID-19 vaccines were incredible. Trump, 79, was part of the first generation to have the polio vaccine. Before that, children with polio, a highly contagious viral disease that primarily affects the nervous system, risked death or paralysis.
In a statement, Republican U.S. Sen. Rick Scott of Florida said the state "already has a good system that allows families to opt out based on religious and personal beliefs, which balances our children's health and parents' rights."
In response to the pushback from his own party, DeSantis said he wants families to have the choice to get vaccines or not, and to get the information they need before consenting.
The governor and state Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo say they expect vaccination rates will be the same or higher without the mandates, if families are given a choice.
"The surgeon general believes, and I believe, that if you actually didn't say you've gotta take this otherwise you're going to be punished, I think you'd actually have more uptake on some of those," DeSantis said during a news conference in Plant City.
DeSantis pointed to Canada, Ireland and some Nordic countries that don't require childhood immunizations but still have high vaccination rates.
He emphasized that all the vaccines will still be available in Florida for families who decide their children should receive them.
"I think when given accurate information, I think parents are going to do what's best for their kids," said DeSantis. "I mean, everyone wants their kids to grow up to be healthy, and I think that's what you see in those countries that don't use coercion and don't use mandates to be able to do it."
Requirements for some school-age vaccines won't be rolled back for at least another 90 days in Florida and will apply to chickenpox, hepatitis B, flu and meningitis shots to start.
The Legislature would have to vote to repeal requirements for the polio, measles, mumps, tetanus, diphtheria and whooping cough vaccines.
The decision by the state to roll back vaccine requirements drew opposition from the medical community, including the Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics. Chair Dr. Rana Alissa said making vaccines voluntary puts students and school staff at risk.
Teachers, school officials and teachers unions also spoke out, saying that formerly eradicated contagious diseases could spread, not only putting teachers and students in harm's way, but exacerbating chronic absenteeism.
"When leaders talk about pulling back vaccines, they're talking about disrupting student learning and making schools less safe," the Florida Education Association, the state's teachers union, said in a statement. "State leaders say they care about reducing chronic absenteeism and keeping kids in school — but reducing vaccinations does the opposite, putting our children's health and education at risk."
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