Vaccines

House Speaker Daniel Perez said a bill loosening child vaccination mandates would not be taken up during this week's legislative special session.

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?

Lawmakers will now return to Tallahassee on April 28, a week after the original date.

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

Gov. Ron DeSantis signed a measure to keep funding going for lifesaving medication. But the coverage runs out in July. Hence, the legal back-and-forth over the AIDS Drug Assistance Program continues.

Rathore, a leading expert in infectious diseases, discusses the current measles outbreaks in several states, including Florida.

The regular session was Gov. Ron DeSantis’ last as governor, but he could have as many as three special sessions to strong-arm his "medical freedom" policies through a reluctant Legislature.

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.

The House version of the bill (HB 917), which would require doctors to accept all patients regardless of vaccination status, hasn’t been considered in that chamber this year.

The debate in the Senate Appropriations Committee was vigorous at times, with some supporters unsure if they would support the measure on the chamber floor. A House companion bill has not yet been considered.

The measure would let people sue vaccine manufacturers if the drugs advertised in the state harm them.