Childhood vaccinations against diseases like whooping cough, polio and measles in Florida are down 10 percentage points in the last decade, as distrust of the medical establishment in the post-COVID era takes hold and exemptions on religious grounds rise.
By age 2, children are recommended to have received immunizations against 16 diseases, including measles, mumps, rubella, polio, hepatitis A and B, and chickenpox, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Major medical associations, including the CDC, continue to recommend these immunizations, saying they are safe and effective. Herd immunity of close to 95% is needed to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases and protect people with medical conditions like immune disorders and certain allergies who cannot get vaccinated.
And yet, Florida continues to see a steep decline in the immunization rate among children. It began in 2021, a year after the COVID-19 pandemic began.
Statewide, the percentage of 2-year-olds who are fully immunized has dropped from 85.5% a decade ago to 75.7% according to the latest figures from the Florida Department of Health, dating to 2024.
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Some counties have dropped below the statewide average, including Sarasota (73.4%), Polk (74.9%) and Pinellas (72.6%)
Among 2-year-olds, vaccination rates tumbled from 84% in 2020 to 76.2% in 2021, according to the Florida Department of Health.
For those in kindergarten, the statewide vaccination rate is 88.7%. In Sarasota County, it is 79.9%, the second lowest in the state after Gadsden County.
Rates are declining among school-age children as increasing numbers of parents seek religious exemptions, or "REs," since Florida does not allow for a "personal belief" exemption.
"The proportion of children age 5 to 17 with new REs are increasing each month. Statewide, the estimated prevalence of REs in that age range is 6.39%, with individual counties ranging from 1.52-15.03%," according to Florida Department of Health documents.
A map on the state department of health website shows Sarasota and Charlotte counties are among the highest in Florida for religious exemptions.
People began doubting the medical establishment when they were told COVID-19 vaccines were 100% effective, but many got COVID anyway, according to Mike Patten, a Sarasota chiropractor.
"That caused individuals to lose faith in the vaccination process, not only in the COVID vaccination, but it started making the public question all vaccinations," he said.
"Whenever you lose faith in something, you will enter into fear, because fear is the opposite of faith," Patten added. "So what you're seeing is now a logical extension of people losing faith in a vaccination."
Patten's practice is sometimes mentioned in Facebook groups as friendly to people who choose not to be vaccinated.
If clients ask him about vaccines, Patten said: "I always let them know that is their decision. They are responsible for their decisions that they make in life. I would recommend, if they choose to or not to vaccinate, to do their research and make the best decision for their family."
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Mistrust of mainstream medicine has only grown and shows no sign of letting up, said Patten, who believes attempts to scare people will not reverse the trend.
But "scary" is the word Rana Alissa, a pediatrician and president of the Florida chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, uses to describe the situation.
"It's scary and worrisome, because the worst is coming," Alissa said, referring to the likelihood that Florida could see a measles outbreak like Texas did this year, when hundreds were sickened and two children died.
Texas health authorities said both children were not immunized against measles and had no known underlying conditions.
As to the issue of religious exemptions, Alissa said most religions encourage people to care for others in their communities.
"Every single religion tells us that you need to take care of yourself, your family and the people around you. It's part of our responsibility to ensure everyone is safe, and for you not to cause them any harm. So by not vaccinating your child and not doing your part in the society, you might cause harm to other children who medically — not religiously, medically — cannot get vaccinated," she said.
A recent investigation by Suncoast Searchlight found that pediatricians are reluctant to speak out about the issue, even as vaccination rates in Sarasota are close to the 82% immunization rate in Gaines County, Texas — the epicenter of that state's measles outbreak.
Complications of measles may include brain swelling and pneumonia, which can be fatal.
The MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella "is very safe, it is very effective and it is much better than having the disease. It is much safer," Alissa said.
Asked for comment, the Sarasota County Department of Health responded by email:
"The state of Florida empowers parents to make the best health care decisions for their children," the statement said. "DOH-Sarasota encourages parents to talk to their primary health care provider about immunizations for their children."
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