Florida Scales Back Vaccine Exemptions, Keeps School Mandates

Orlando, FL – The Florida Department of Health will proceed with removing four specific vaccines from school attendance requirements but has dropped a proposal to broaden exemptions for these mandates.

The agency announced a public meeting Oct. 8 in Lake Mary to discuss the proposed repeal of mandatory Hepatitis B, varicella (chicken pox), Haemophilus influenza type b (Hib), and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines for PreK-12 students.

The move is part of an ongoing effort by Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo to eliminate state vaccine mandates. In August, the Department of Health removed language that would have allowed parents to opt out of vaccinations based on "sincerely held moral or ethical belief," reverting to the existing requirement for religious exemptions.

The Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics (FCAAP) opposes the rule change, stating, "Florida’s pediatricians will continue to make their voices heard in opposition to this proposed rule that would undermine the health of Florida’s children and communities." The FCAAP estimates the repeal could cost Florida’s GDP $74 million in the first year and nearly $9 billion over a decade.

The immunization requirements targeted for repeal are set by agency rule, allowing the Department of Health to alter them independently. Attempts to eliminate broader vaccine mandates, such as for MMR, polio, diphtheria, rubeola, and tetanus, through legislative action have not succeeded. Governor Ron DeSantis and other state officials have supported such changes, but no legislator filed a bill in the 2026 legislative sessions. Similarly, "Medical Freedom" bills expanding vaccine exemptions failed to pass the state House after passing the Senate.