Overview
- Draft changes would remove hepatitis B, varicella and Hib shots from K-12 requirements and end the pneumococcal vaccine mandate for childcare admissions.
- The proposal also broadens opt-outs by allowing exemptions based on personally held beliefs, beyond existing medical and religious exemptions.
- Health leaders and pediatricians warned of a resurgence of preventable diseases and higher costs, while vaccine-choice advocates framed the move as protecting parental rights.
- Florida’s health department says a public-health and economic impact analysis is underway; once a final rule is filed, implementation could take three to four months.
- Seven other vaccines, including polio and MMR, are mandated by statute and cannot be changed without legislation, even as vaccination coverage has declined and exemptions have risen in some counties.