"Soon, though, Florida's policy may change. Earlier this month, the state's surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, announced his intention to end all vaccine mandates: "Every last one of them is wrong," he said. Some vaccine rules-including the one applying to the meningococcal vaccine -are written into the state's laws, but Ladapo has said his office will partner with Governor Ron DeSantis's to push for necessary changes."
"A canceled mandate alone may do little to change the risk of meningococcal outbreaks on Florida's college campuses. The CDC still recommends these vaccines for preteens and teenagers, and currently almost all American kids in that age group get at least one dose. But Florida's rebellion against vaccine mandates is part of a larger erosion of the immunization status quo, as childhood-vaccination rates in the United States decline, Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Department of Health and Human Services chips away at long-standing vaccine policy,"
In 2022 Florida experienced a meningococcal outbreak that spread in college settings where close contact and shared items increase transmission. Many states, including Florida, currently require the meningococcal vaccine for students living on campus because college attendance elevates infection risk. Florida's surgeon general has announced plans to end all vaccine mandates and to seek legal changes with the governor. The CDC continues to recommend meningococcal vaccination for preteens and teenagers, and most American children receive at least one dose. Simultaneous declines in childhood-vaccination rates and federal policy shifts are eroding established immunization protections.
Read at The Atlantic
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