Florida puts an end to vaccination mandates: ‘They are a form of slavery’

Health Director Joseph Ladapo and Governor DeSantis announce the cancellation of mandatory immunisations. An unprecedented measure in the US

The Florida Department of Health, in agreement with Governor Ron DeSantis, has declared its intention to eliminate all forms of vaccination mandates in the state. ‘All of them, every single one,’ said Director-General Joseph Ladapo, speaking at Grace Christian School in Valrico to an audience that greeted him with applause. ‘Every one of them is wrong and dripping with contempt and slavery. Who am I to tell you what you should put in your body or what your child should receive? The body is a gift from God.’

Impact on schools and historical precedents

If approved by the legislature, the changes would make Florida the first state to also cancel mandatory school immunisations, including those against measles, rubella, mumps, polio and hepatitis B. A decision that, according to health experts, jeopardises decades of progress in preventing once-endemic diseases.

DeSantis prepares a “medical package”

Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has announced the imminent presentation of a “major medical package” to the state legislature, part of a broader political effort to reduce the scope of vaccination campaigns.

The Trump and Kennedy Jr. line

The initiative comes in the context of the new federal administration led by Donald Trump, which has taken a critical stance on vaccines. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for his anti-vaccine views, recently fired CDC Director Susan Monarez, accusing the agency of abandoning its core mission.

Global immunisation data

A recent study by the World Health Organisation estimated that vaccinations have saved 154 million lives over the past 50 years, two-thirds of which were infants. This figure is likely to reignite the debate over Florida’s decision.

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(Photo: © AndKronos)