U.S. News

Florida’s surgeon general on Wednesday announced plans to end all state vaccine mandates, including for children to attend schools, which would make it the first state to completely withdraw from a practice credited with boosting vaccination rates and controlling the spread of infectious diseases.

Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladapo said Wednesday that every vaccine mandate “drips with disdain and slavery.” His stances on vaccines and other measures intended to protect Floridians have drawn criticism from public health experts and advocates.

Gov. Ron DeSantis (R), who endorsed the move, said his administration can unilaterally end some vaccine mandates but that “the rest would require changes from the legislature.”

“There are a handful, maybe a half a dozen vaccines that are mandated. So those are going to be gone for sure,” Ladapo said during a news conference. “We need to end it. It’s the right thing to do.”