Florida is poised to become the first state in the nation to eliminate all vaccine mandates—including those for schoolchildren. This decision, announced by Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo and backed by Governor Ron DeSantis, would roll back decades of proven public health policy that has protected generations of Americans from diseases like measles, mumps, polio, and chickenpox.

Vaccines are not about control—they’re about community. When kids are vaccinated, schools stay safe, classrooms stay open, and parents can go to work without fear that a preventable illness will sideline their families. Doctors across Florida, including pediatric leaders from the American Academy of Pediatrics, have warned that ending these mandates will increase the risk of outbreaks and put our most vulnerable neighbors—infants, the elderly, and those with compromised immune systems—at serious risk.

This is not a matter of personal opinion—it’s a matter of public safety. Vaccine mandates are not new or extreme. They’ve been part of Florida’s laws for decades, supported by mountains of scientific evidence and credited globally with saving over 150 million lives in the past 50 years, according to the World Health Organization.

Dr. Ladapo has said he wants to end “every last one” of these mandates, labeling them “immoral” and comparing them to slavery—language that is as dangerous as it is inflammatory. The proposed changes go far beyond COVID-19 vaccines. They target routine, life-saving childhood immunizations and signal a complete dismantling of evidence-based protections.

We cannot allow Florida to lead the nation backwards. We call on the Florida Legislature, the Department of Health, and Governor Ron DeSantis to halt all efforts to repeal vaccine mandates. Our kids deserve safe schools. Our seniors deserve healthy communities. And all Floridians deserve a government that protects public health, not undermines it.

Sign this petition to demand that Florida keep vaccine requirements in place—and continue protecting the lives and well-being of its citizens and beyond.

Photo: Chris O’Meara/AP