A girl is inoculated against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) during a vaccination event hosted by Miami-Dade County and Miami Heat, at FTX Arena in Miami, Florida, U.S. [Source: Reuters]

Florida plans to end all state vaccine mandates, including for children to attend schools, the state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, announced on Wednesday, likening the requirements to “slavery.”

The announcement was quickly condemned by public health experts, who warned the move could trigger severe outbreaks among children, tourists and those with compromised immune systems.

Ladapo, along with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, cast the issue as one of personal choice.

Ladapo did not provide specifics or a timeline for the changes. DeSantis, a Republican, made opposing COVID-19 mandates and precautions a central tenet of his first term in office.

All U.S. states have vaccine requirements to attend public schools with specific exceptions varying by state.

Vaccination rates for several diseases, including measles, diphtheria and polio, decreased among U.S. kindergartners in the 2024-25 school year from the year before, according to federal data.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the new figures in July in the midst of a growing measles outbreak, with confirmed cases that month reaching the highest level since the disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000.

Dr. Tina Tan, president of the Infectious Diseases Society of America, said Florida’s move would result in a major drop in vaccination rates.

If Florida follows through with dropping all vaccine mandates, it could also impact vaccination requirements at daycares or other places that require inoculations, she added.

It could also put people who are immunocompromised and unable to get vaccinated at risk of disease and death. And because Florida is a major vacation destination, the move could spread diseases to other states.

Shares of COVID vaccine makers were down, Pfizer (PFE.N), opens new tab by 0.9% and Moderna (MRNA.O), opens new tab off 0.7%.

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