Florida Proposes Dropping Four Vaccines From School Entry Rules

Florida's Department of Health proposes a rule to remove four vaccines—hepatitis B, varicella, Hib, and pneumococcal conjugate—from pre-K–12 school entry requirements, as part of Surgeon General Ladapo's drive to roll back vaccine mandates. The rule would also broaden religious/moral exemptions and allow parents to opt out of having their children’s vaccination data in the state database; a 21-day public comment period precedes final approval. The change is an agency rule, not law, and critics warn it could raise illness risk, while supporters emphasize parental rights and medical freedom.