Florida surgeon general Joseph Ladapo’s sweeping pledge to abolish all vaccine mandates in the state has quickly unraveled after a sharp rebuke from President Donald Trump and widespread backlash from public health experts. Ladapo, who cast his plan as divinely inspired, declared vaccine mandates “slavery” and vowed to eliminate every requirement. But within days, Florida’s health department admitted his promise far exceeded his authority and began backtracking.
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Bold Promise in Tampa
At a fiery press conference in Tampa, Joseph Ladapo announced that “every last” vaccine mandate in Florida would be repealed. He framed the move as a spiritual calling, declaring: “Who am I, as a man standing here now, to tell you what you should put in your body?” Ladapo described vaccine mandates as “slavery,” a statement seen as aligning with Robert F Kennedy’s anti-vaccine rhetoric. He promised Floridians full freedom from compulsory immunization.
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White House Pushback
Just two days later, President Donald Trump denounced Ladapo’s sweeping plan, undermining its momentum. “You have vaccines that work. They just pure and simple work. They’re not controversial at all,” Trump said, warning that ending vaccine mandates could endanger children and the public. His remarks added political weight to the scientific opposition that quickly mounted against Florida’s proposed shift.
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Backtracking in Policy
After four days of silence, the Florida Department of Health acknowledged that Ladapo lacked the power to cancel all mandates. Instead, officials proposed removing only requirements for non-school-entry vaccines such as hepatitis B, chickenpox, and influenza. Mandates for core immunizations, including measles, polio, and whooping cough, would remain intact unless the state legislature acted. The retreat marked a significant scaling down of Ladapo’s bold declaration.
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Growing Medical Alarm
Public health experts swiftly condemned Ladapo’s plan, warning of dire consequences if school vaccination protections were rolled back. Scott Rivkees, a former Florida surgeon general, said: “There’s no scientific rationale for this. These are effective vaccines that have an excellent safety profile.” He noted that Florida’s childhood vaccination rates have already fallen 10% over the past decade and warned of further declines fueled by misinformation.
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Political Divide in Florida
The Republican-led legislature, typically aligned with Governor Ron DeSantis, has so far hesitated to endorse Ladapo’s agenda. Senate Speaker Ben Albritton and House Speaker Daniel Perez, both Trump loyalists, have shown little eagerness to introduce legislation repealing school vaccine mandates. Experts, including Nova Southeastern University’s Robert Speth, urged lawmakers to intervene. “It can’t just be done by edict,” Speth warned, calling the proposal “totally irresponsible.”
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Public Health at Risk
Medical professionals stressed that the rollback could expose vulnerable children to preventable illnesses. Rivkees said removing protections for vaccines like chickenpox and hepatitis would harm families and confuse parents already overwhelmed by conflicting messages. Speth likened the risk to reckless endangerment: “It’s really worse than drunk driving. Children who are unable to protect themselves… are now metaphorically being placed in the path of intoxicated drivers.”
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National Anti-Vaccine Movement
Ladapo’s stance reflects a broader wave of skepticism fueled by figures like health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr. Experts warn that anti-vaccine messaging is leaving parents uncertain about medical guidance, weakening trust in physicians. “So much skepticism, so much confusion, so much distrust has been put in place,” Rivkees said, cautioning that the medical community’s ability to protect children is being eroded.