Some Florida vaccine mandates for children are already set to expire. We need the legislature to step up and stop this madness.
News and views for thoughtful Floridians
In just six weeks, Florida school children will no longer be required to receive a range of vaccines to attend classes, all part of a scheme by Gov. Ron DeSantis and his surgeon general, Joe Ladapo, to eliminate vaccine mandates altogether.
Ladapo already has the authority to drop some requirements, specifically for inoculations that protect children against hepatitis, chickenpox, pneumococcal conjugate virus, and Haemophilus type b (Hib)—a bacterial infection that can be fatal to children.
The mandate for these vaccines ends, by his edict, in early December.
As if that were not enough, DeSantis and Ladapo have announced they want to drop all vaccine requirements for public school students, including for dreadful diseases such as polio, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, and rubella.
Why they would make children vulnerable to those horrors – and through them to place the larger community at risk – defies reason.
The frequently used rationale is “parental choice,” as if the prerogatives of moms and dads somehow imbue them with the authority to override public safety concerns.
Sure, parents have rights.
But so do children.
Kids sometimes need protection from their own families. We have entire agencies of state and local government dedicated to that, and for good reason. We also have laws specifically designed to protect kids—you can’t send them into coal mines anymore, for instance. And you can’t expose them to unnecessary harm, like deadly diseases.
So, parental choice needs to be respected, but within defined boundaries that also acknowledge our children have rights, too.
Inside those boundaries—at least for the moment—are requirements that kids should be spared from crippling and fatal diseases.
To fail to do that is the same as condemning them to those horrors.
And, in turn, it exposes everyone else as well.
It’s called Science. With capital S. And even if the likes of DeSantis or Ladapo don’t understand it, their ignorance does not, in fact, change reality.
Which is why doctors from around Florida, the American Medical Association, and even President Donald Trump have said this is stupid. And dangerous.
Fortunately, I suppose, we have one chance to stop this madness. Although it is not exactly the place we often turn to for reason and thoughtfulness:
The Florida Legislature.
In order for DeSantis and Ladapo to have their nightmarish dreams come true, the Florida House of Representatives and the Florida Senate would have to pass legislation enabling it.
The Legislature convenes on January 13, 2026. Mark that date on your calendar. We have about three months to let our representatives in Tallahassee know how we feel about this.
And doctors are already speaking up.
At a recent meeting in Tampa, a bipartisan gathering of state lawmakers heard from physicians begging them to reject any proposed laws that would weaken vaccine mandates.
Here’s Dr. Lisa M. Rush, a pediatrician with Health Care Alliance, on vaccines:
“They’re protecting the vulnerable and ensuring that our schools, businesses, and healthcare systems remain strong and resilient in the face of infectious disease. The question before us is not whether we support vaccines. That debate is, frankly, settled science. The question is, do we have the courage to uphold policies that have kept our state safe even when it’s politically inconvenient? True freedom isn’t the absence of regulation. It’s the presence of safety, opportunity, and the ability to live without fear of preventable illness.”
Mitch Perry of the Florida Phoenix was there covering the event. With their permission, I’ve reprinted his story on my website. You can find it here:
What do you think? Share your views by clicking on the COMMENTS link at the end of this newsletter. Thanks!
Watching the Tropics
Tropical Storm Melissa may become a hurricane over the weekend, with computer forecasts showing she likely will turn north toward Haiti or Cuba, then out into the Atlantic, but Floridians still need to keep a watch on the storm’s development. A great source for information on this is HurricaneIntel. Here’s a link:
Epstein Files watch
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes has filed a lawsuit against House Speaker Mike Johnson for failing to seat Rep.-elect Adelita Grijalva. Filed in federal court in Washington, Mayes asks the court to compel Johnson to swear in Grijalva or allow her to be sworn in by someone else. She would be the final signature on a discharge petition that would force the House to vote on releasing the Epstein Files, which, of course, is why Johnson—doing President Donald Trump’s bidding—has been stalling.
Today is …
Slap Your Annoying Coworker Day, one of those silly, unofficial holidays that pepper the calendar. It is the official policy here at Tropic Press that this is an ill-advised activity, as you could find yourself slammed into the pokey if you took this literally, which you should not. Notwithstanding, we’ve all had coworkers who absolutely do deserve it. But just don’t.
Thought for the day
“If you want to save your child from polio, you can pray or you can inoculate … Choose science.”
― Carl Sagan
Florida factual
What does Joe Ladapo’s own Department of Health say about vaccines? Here it is:
“For all vaccine-preventable diseases, timely and complete vaccination is the best way to prevent infection.”
More online
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J.C. Bruce, journalist and author, is the founder of Tropic Press. He holds dual citizenship in the United States of America and his native Florida. When he’s not blogging, he’s in training for the Florida Man Underwater Ping Pong Championships. Forward this email to your friends. They will love you for it.
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An excellent and alarming article. I just can't imagine why anyone would object to vaccinations that have over the years been proven to prevent such dangerous diseases as polio and measles. When I was a kid, polio was a constant threat, and I remember my mother almost crying with relief as she stood me in line to get the polio vaccine. Evidently there are voters in FL who don't like the idea of the government making decisions for them, and DeSantis and others are turning their hardheadedness into political capital. Sad. I'd have to label them "Unthinking Floridians." The Republicans won a super majority in the State Legislature in 2024, and I think any appeal to them to overturn the DeSantis anti-vaccine dictate would be quickly rejected. I don't know, but I would bet that DeSantis and most of the legislators have already had their kids vaccinated.
How can we have come so far with health only to slide so far back when idiots are allowed to make decisions for us.