Congressional Democrats on Tuesday urged Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, R-Florida, to reverse the plan he announced last week to become the first state to end mandates to vaccinate minors.
The eight Democrats in Florida’s House delegation sent a letter to the state governor, asking him to reconsider his position, arguing that “being the first state to abandon these basic protections unnecessarily endangers children’s lives.”
Offensive against mandatory vaccines in Florida
Florida will be the first US state to suspend mandatory vaccinations in schools: measles, mumps, chickenpox. All vaccines.
The surgeon general announces it amid cheers and compares mandatory vaccination to “slavery”.pic.twitter.com/Z3XyyAh4r9
– Argemino Barro (@Argemino) September 3, 2025
Florida’s plans have raised questions from trade groups such as the American Medical Association (AMA) and even President Donald Trump.
The president asked “to be very careful” because “there are vaccines that are very incredible” and that “are not controversial at all”.
The congressmen warned in the letter that this policy “exposes Florida’s tourism and overall economic health” and urged DeSantis to “reconsider this policy and restore these long-standing safeguards.”
The representatives also questioned the “inflated rhetoric” of Florida’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, who last week warned that the governor “will work to end all vaccination mandates established by Florida law” and compared them to slavery.
Although the Florida Legislature has yet to approve the elimination of immunization requirements for diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles and rubella, the State Executive can remove mandatory immunizations for other vaccines, such as varicella, pneumococcal conjugate, hepatitis B and Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib).
The lawmakers warned that this “not only threatens children, but unnecessarily endangers older adults in Florida,” a state attractive to retirees, “who often face a compromised immune system.”
“We urge you to reverse this directive and maintain school vaccine requirements. Doing so will help safeguard the health of children, families, educators and Florida’s economy, as well as maintain the scientific standards that guide U.S. public health policy,” they concluded.
Filed under: Florida offensive mandatory vaccinations
With information from EFE
