State authorities in Florida plan to abolish all compulsory childhood vaccine requirements.
In a bold move, Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has established a state-level "Make America Healthy Again" (MAHA) commission, modelled after a federal initiative. The commission, chaired by Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and Florida First Lady Casey DeSantis, aims to promote medical freedom, parental rights, informed consent, safe and nutritious food, and to challenge medical orthodoxy not backed by data.
Under DeSantis' leadership, Florida has resisted imposing COVID vaccines on schoolchildren and requiring "passports" for certain places. This approach is expected to be reflected in the commission's work, which will help inform a "medical freedom package" to be introduced in the Florida Legislature. This package is anticipated to address vaccine mandates required by state law and make permanent recent state COVID decisions relaxing restrictions.
The Florida Department of Health, led by State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, is responsible for implementing vaccination requirements for children in the state. Currently, required vaccines include measles, chickenpox, hepatitis B, diphtheria, and DTaP. However, the department, with the support of Governor DeSantis, plans to phase out all childhood vaccine mandates.
Dr. Ladapo considers current vaccine requirements as an "immoral" intrusion on people's rights. He believes parents should have the right to make health decisions for their children without interference. While he did not specify which vaccines are under consideration for elimination, he stated that the effort aims to end "all of them. Every last one of them."
Florida would be the first state to eliminate so many vaccine mandates, according to Dr. Ladapo. He also mentioned that some vaccine mandates can be scrapped by the state Health Department, while others require action by the Florida Legislature.
The commission's focus on boosting parental rights extends to medical decisions about their children. This move is likely to be welcomed by many parents who value their role in their children's healthcare decisions. The commission's work on promoting safe and nutritious food could also have far-reaching implications for the state's food industry and public health.
In a nutshell, the Florida "MAHA" commission represents a significant step towards promoting medical freedom, parental rights, and challenging established medical orthodoxy. As the commission's work progresses, it will be interesting to see how these principles translate into policy changes in the Sunshine State.
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