I was worried I had made a huge mistake. We were just a few weeks away from a cross-country move, leaving behind our home of nearly a decade in Florida for New York. I was pregnant, my husband was between jobs, and our daughter had a daycare she loved. Suddenly, my decision in late 2024 to move our family out of Florida seemed rash.
And from the outside looking in, it was. The morning after the 2024 election, when the results came in around 2 a.m., I turned to my husband in bed and said, “We have to move.” It had been a few years since we started feeling the effects of Florida politics creeping into our lives. In that time, gun control became more lax, abortion access became nearly inaccessible, LGBTQIA+ rights were brought back decades, and book banning had become rampant across the state. My genuine fear was that the results of the presidential election would exacerbate all of these issues.
So we went ahead with our move to New York, in large part due to our ability to both work remotely and receive help from family members who already lived in the New York area. And it didn’t take long after our move to realize we had made the right choice. Our decision was further emphasized when Florida’s governor and Surgeon General made the frankly terrifying announcement that they were choosing to do away with vaccine mandates.
Read More:
- We Asked 100+ Moms About the New Childhood Vaccine Schedule—Here’s What They *Really* Think
- The Best States to Have a Baby—Plus What to Do If Yours Isn’t One
- Pediatricians Share What Parents Need to Know About the Current Measles Outbreak
What is happening in Florida with vaccine mandates?
In early September, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and state Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo announced that Florida would be working to phase out all childhood vaccine mandates in the state, making Florida the first state to do so.
Throughout the U.S., students in daycares, public, and private schools (the specifics depend on your state) have long been required to receive vaccinations for previously common childhood illnesses like polio and measles. While some families can seek exemptions, what Florida is proposing is different. What the Governor and Surgeon General want to do is take out the requirements entirely, meaning kids at public schools can go without getting any vaccines.
Diminishing herd immunity
According to health officials, vaccine mandates are essential to prevent outbreaks of disease and achieve herd immunity. Herd immunity helps to protect vulnerable members of the population who can’t get vaccinated, such as those who are too young (like a newborn) or those who are immunocompromised. To achieve herd immunity for a disease like measles, you need 95% vaccination rates to avoid outbreaks.
“Herd immunity helps to protect vulnerable members of the population who can’t get vaccinated, such as those who are too young (like a newborn) or those who are immunocompromised.”
Because of this, school vaccine mandates are considered a vitally important tool to achieving herd immunity, requiring kids to get the necessary vaccines from their doctor (and requiring insurance to cover it).
Florida’s new vaccine policy
In Florida, this new policy isn’t expected to take effect for about 90 days from the initial announcement on September 3, 2025. It would end the requirement that “kids are inoculated against diseases like hepatitis B, chicken pox, influenza, and meningitis,” according to PBS. And according to a statement from the Florida Department of Health, other vaccines, including those for poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps, and rubella, “will remain in place unless updated through legislation,” meaning the state legislature would need to change the law for these vaccines to not be required.
Doctors and experts have shared their concern for this, warning that the vaccine mandate change will almost certainly put children and their communities at risk.
“If we are going to be going into a public school system or even a private school system where children are in enclosed spaces, where respiratory viruses and bacteria can spread, the things that we prevent with vaccine-preventable illnesses, we are putting each other at risk,” Dr. Mona Amin shared with PBS New Hour. “So we are going to see a trickle effect that not only impacts the children who are in the school system, but the teachers and the communities. That is why public health measures are in place, that we could start to see more viruses, more bacteria and more hospitalizations and more of a public health crisis here.”
What does the end of the vaccine mandate mean to me as a parent?
Speaking to the reason behind ending this mandate, Ladapo said it came down to personal freedom. He said, and I quote, “Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery, OK? Who am I as a government or anyone else, or who am I as a man standing here now to tell you what you should put in your body?” It should be said that in recent years, Florida has severely limited access to abortion and banned gender-affirming care for minors.
For me, the change hits close to home—or, at least, my previous home. Our now 3-year-old daughter started daycare in Florida at 2 months old. She had literally just been eligible to get her first round of vaccines by the time she started, this small, tiny little human who was so vulnerable. While it didn’t completely ease our worries about her getting sick, vaccine mandates were the reason we felt safe sending her in. We didn’t need to worry about diseases like measles or polio—she would be protected.
Fast forward a few years, and I sit here typing with my 5-week-old on my chest. We’re now in New York, meaning he will be getting his first round of shots soon and will be better protected by the time he starts daycare in a few months. If we were in Florida, that wouldn’t be the case. In fact, we’d likely be having to consider whether he’d be doing daycare at all.
How crazy is that? Based on the state where you live, parents might be put in a position to decide whether to work because they have to worry about their baby being exposed to once-eradicated childhood diseases.
What can moms do to fight for our kids’ health?
Unfortunately, while Florida is the first state to pursue this, it likely won’t be the last. Changes have also been implemented at the federal level to stoke fears about vaccines, with misinformation and a lack of scientific information informing most decisions at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the Centers for Disease Control. Just this week, it was reported that HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and members of his vaccine panel have begun casting doubt on the hepatitis B vaccine, which is given to newborns directly after birth.
In recent years, vaccine rates have seen a sharp decrease, with misinformation on the safety of vaccines running rampant on social media, particularly since the COVID-19 pandemic. In fact, I’d wager that most people know at least one acquaintance, family member, or friend who is anti-vaccine or at least “asking questions.” A lot of this has to do with debunked theories that vaccines “cause” Autism, a myth that has done irreparable harm to trust in proven vaccines.
Consult your pediatrician and proven health experts
Honestly, as a mom, a lot of days it can feel pretty hopeless. So, what can we do? Well, first off, listening to doctors and proven health experts is key. When it comes to my kids’ health, I listen to our pediatrician, who I trust has the scientific knowledge and education to know why these vaccines are safe and effective. Additionally, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has become an outspoken proponent for vaccinations, with many of its recommendations going against what the CDC is saying. If you are confused about the information you’re seeing on social media regarding childhood diseases or vaccinations, I highly recommend visiting their website for accurate, researched information.
Reach out to your local officials
And if you’re as concerned as I am about the dialogue surrounding childhood vaccinations in the U.S., call your elected officials. Florida may be the first state to take steps to ban school vaccine mandates, but it won’t be the last. Call your officials at the state level to share your support of vaccine mandates, or call senators and representatives at the federal level to oppose actions taken by the HHS and CDC regarding vaccine recommendations.
The reality is that, while I’m relieved we moved out of Florida, just up and moving isn’t at all feasible for many concerned parents (because I know I’m not alone). And because of that, it’s more important than ever that we as moms speak up and fight for the health and safety of our kids by making our voices heard.
Morgan Flaherty, Contributing Writer
Morgan is full-time writer, editor, and mom of two. Along with her work as a contributing writer for The Everymom, her writing has appeared in Well + Good, InStyle, Scary Mommy, Byrdie, and Baby Chick.
