Florida Republicans advanced a bill this week aimed at weakening existing child vaccine protections, but the move highlighted a significant retreat from the radical anti-mandate demands made by state surgeon general Joseph Ladapo last year. The proposed new law, which seeks to expand exemptions for parents who don’t want their kids vaccinated before school, fell far short of Ladapo’s sweeping promise to eliminate compulsory immunizations completely.
Ladapo, who is a longtime vaccine skeptic appointed by Governor Ron DeSantis, caused massive controversy back in September when he declared that children in the state would no longer be required to receive vaccines against a number of preventable diseases. He didn’t just suggest policy change, either. He made it clear he expected his push to eliminate compulsory vaccinations would receive the blessing “of God.”
He went on to state that “every last [mandate] is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” delivering a very intense statement. Ladapo then dramatically warned that Florida’s lawmakers “are going to have to choose a side,” according to The Guardian.
How dare we try and protect people with vaccines
The bill that just advanced suggests that Republicans have, in fact, chosen a side, and it’s decidedly not the surgeon general’s sweeping anti-vaccine agenda. The new legislation, introduced by state senator Clay Yarborough, narrowly passed the chamber’s health policy committee on Monday in a 6-4 vote.
If passed into law, this so-called “medical freedom” bill would add a parent’s “conscience” as a new reason for opting out of children’s vaccinations, expanding on the existing exemption for religious reasons. It also requires medical providers to advise parents and caregivers about the “risks, benefits, safety and efficacy of each vaccine being administered” using materials provided by state-run medical boards.
The bill keeps essential mandates firmly in place for shots covering measles, mumps, and rubella, which are often combined into the single MMR vaccine. It also maintains requirements for diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis (DTaP), and polio.
Senator Yarborough defended the bill at Monday’s hearing, focusing on parental control. He said the main goal is that “parents be in charge of the decisions of their children’s health care.” He added that parents need to be “in the drivers’ seat for every aspect of their children’s education, their health care, their wellbeing, anything related thereto.”
Despite Yarborough’s focus on parental rights, some Republicans joined Democrats in criticizing the bill, noting that making it easier to opt out weakens any benefit the remaining mandates might still offer. State senator Gayle Harrell, who serves as the committee’s vice-chair, joined Senator Alexis Calatayud as the two Republicans who voted against advancing the bill.
Harrell issued a stern warning about the potential public health consequences. She said, “We are about to go down a road that’s going to create a major problem for children, but also for seniors and those who cannot be vaccinated.” She relayed a serious conversation she had with a primary care doctor who told her, “Gayle, I don’t want to go back to medical school to learn how to treat polio.” That’s a powerful point, and it shows the level of concern among medical professionals.
This internal conflict comes amid serious public health worries. Florida has already reported three cases of measles this year. Dr. Scott Rivkees, Ladapo’s predecessor, noted last year that the state was pursuing a seriously flawed policy that is dangerous to children’s health. He said that the public is “overwhelmingly supportive of children being vaccinated,” and they just don’t want their kids to get sick.
Published: Feb 2, 2026 12:05 pm