Joseph Ladapo

GOP gubernatorial hopeful Rep. Byron Donalds says he'd like to "study and really engage it" before making a decision about whether to repeal statutory vaccine requirements for schools.

The health department is proposing a rule to remove hepatitis B, chickenpox, Hib and pneumococcal conjugate vaccine mandates for school attendance, a move that has been in play nearly a year.

Nothing has happened on a policy level. Yet, parents are confused, pediatricians are seeing vaccine hesitancy growing and exemption rates are the highest in a decade.

The CDC says it has logged more than 2,300 cases of measles as of Thursday. Major outbreaks in South Carolina, Utah, and Arizona have contributed to the rise.

During a roundtable on youth mental health, Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo introduced guidelines urging broader evaluations by providers before children are prescribed psychotropics.

Both measures were priorities for Gov. Ron DeSantis before his term ends in January, but House Speaker Daniel Perez announced members will vote on redistricting and be dismissed.

Florida Republicans have pushed hard to drop some vaccine requirements for children. But after many months, their efforts stalled out. Could this week's special legislative session get the job done?

Gov. Ron DeSantis called lawmakers back to address the vaccination issue in the special session that starts Tuesday. He also wants to pass artificial intelligence regulations and a new congressional districts map.

Florida aimed to become the first state in the nation to end all vaccine mandates. But lawmakers failed to agree on a path forward.

The Senate is poised to vote on the bill Monday, but the House hasn’t advanced its version of the bill and is unlikely to take it up with the session scheduled to end Friday.

Michael Emanuel Rajner says lawmakers are willing to shore up a purported $120 million deficit in the medication program and the health department "needs to stand down."

The appeal comes as the nation is at risk of losing its measles elimination status and as Oz's boss, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has raised suspicion about the safety and importance of vaccines.