So far, Florida has failed to end vaccine mandates. Now there's a last-ditch effort

So far, Florida has failed to end vaccine mandates. Now there's a last-ditch effort April 28, 20265:00 AM ET From By Kerry Sheridan Larry Downs of Pensacola, Fla., speaks out against childhood vaccine mandates at a public hearing held by Florida's Department of Health on Friday, Dec. 12, 2025 in Panama City Beach, Fla. Kate Payne/AP hide caption toggle caption Kate Payne/AP Every state, as well as D.C., requires children to obtain certain vaccinations before they can attend school or childcare. These mandates date back decades, and are considered a foundational bulwark of public health defense against infectious disease. This story was produced in partnership with KFF Health News. Since last summer, Florida's leaders have aimed to be the first state to drop some of those vaccine mandates. The anti-vaccine rhetoric, and the efforts to revise laws and regulations, rumbled along at the state health department, and in the legislature. But by March, the fight seemed to have stalled out. But the story may not be over. On April 15, Governor Ron DeSantis called for a legislative special session, which starts today and runs through Friday. There are only 3 items on the agenda: Congressional redistricting, potential protections from AI, and "medical freedom" around vaccines. Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo speaks during a Patient Freedom news conference on March 5, 2025, in Tampa, Fla. Chris O'Meara/AP hide caption toggle caption Chris O'Meara/AP The outcome could help predict the chances of success for similar movements in other states. An Associated Press analysis found at least 350 anti-vaccine bills were introduced in state legislatures last year. Many focused on relaxing requirements for vaccines in schools. Sponsor Message Ladapo: Mandates are bodily 'slavery' On Sept. 3, Gov. DeSantis and Florida's surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, held a press conference at a private Christian school east of Tampa. Ladapo declared the state would work to end all vaccine mandates in Florida law. "Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery," Ladapo said. "Who am I, as a government, or anyone else — or who am I, as a man standing here, to tell you what you should put in your body?" Gov. DeSantis is term-limited, so there are only 8 months left in his governorship, and the Congressional midterms are even sooner, in November. Political analysts say that the effort to cut back on mandated shots for children is closely tied to the political fortunes of the Republican majority. "For Republicans, they're a little bit leery," said Aubrey Jewett, a professor of political science at the University of Central Florida. "They know we're in an election cycle. They know political history, and it's pretty clear that the President's party tends to lose seats in the midterm election." Although hundreds of anti-vaccine bills have been introduced in state legislatures, the noisy rhetoric and splashy headlines don't guarantee passage, said Kelly Whitener, associate research professor of health policy at Georgetown University. Sponsor Message "Lots of bills get introduced," said Whitener, "And don't end up passing or being enacted. And that's the same trend that we're seeing this year." That's because in many states, including Florida, "there's a disconnect between what we hear a lot from a potentially vocal minority about how they feel about vaccines — compared to where the majority of people really are," said Whitener. "For most people, they…

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