Florida intends to eradicate all compulsory childhood vaccination laws within the state, according to government representatives.
In a bid to promote medical freedom and individual rights, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has established the "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) commission. The commission, modelled after federal initiatives, is chaired by Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and Florida first lady Casey DeSantis.
The commission's primary goal is to improve transparency and accountability in healthcare, and to restore trust in the medical profession and public health. It aims to eliminate medical orthodoxy that is not supported by the data, as stated by Governor DeSantis.
The initiative, led by Governor DeSantis, is intended to keep Florida "ahead of the curve" in terms of medical freedom and individual rights. Florida would be the first state to eliminate so many vaccine mandates, according to Dr. Joseph Ladapo, Florida's Surgeon General.
Under Governor DeSantis, Florida has resisted imposing COVID vaccines on schoolchildren and other mandates. The state currently requires vaccinations for measles, chickenpox, hepatitis B, Diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP), polio, and other diseases for child day care facilities and public schools. However, the commission plans to phase out all childhood vaccine mandates in the state.
Dr. Ladapo, who leads the commission, believes that people have the right to make informed decisions about their bodies. He also emphasises the importance of parents having the right to make health decisions for their children without interference.
The work of the commission will help inform a "medical freedom package" to be introduced in the Florida Legislature's next session. This package will address vaccine mandates required by state law and make permanent the recent state COVID decisions relaxing restrictions. It is expected to be broad in scope.
In addition, the commission will focus on boosting parental rights regarding medical decisions about their children. Dr. Ladapo did not specify which vaccines are included in the phase-out, but he emphasized that the effort aims to end all vaccine mandates.
Governor DeSantis stated that Florida is leading other states in terms of medical freedom initiatives, and he is confident that the commission's work will continue to position Florida as a champion of individual rights and medical freedom.
