vaccines

An administrative judge has denied the DeSantis administration’s request to limit the number of plaintiffs in the administrative challenge to its proposed rules to eliminate a requirement that children receive four vaccines before entering daycare or school.

Gov. Ron DeSantis’s efforts to pare back the number of vaccines children must receive to enter school or daycare could pay off for him before he leaves office on Jan. 5 in light of a state administrative judge’ agreement Thursday to expedite a hearing on challenges to them.

Most immunizations are mandated by legislation in Florida, but more recent vaccines dating to the 1980s and 1990s are governed by rules from the state health department, which are easier to change.

While flu activity is still relatively low, officials say now is the time to get vaccinated before cases begin to rise later this year.

GOP gubernatorial candidate also supports DeSantis administration’s proposed rule to drop four school vaccine mandates.

Florida's Surgeon General has called to end all vaccine mandates. Parents are confused, vaccine hesitancy is growing — and pediatricians say they are feeling the strain of tackling the mistrust. "When something as proven safe and effective and important as vaccines takes a disproportionate amount of our time and energy... it can be exhausting,” said one.

The Florida Chapter of the American College of Physicians sent notice to the Department of Health requesting a rule hearing on a proposal to make it easier for parents to opt out of vaccinating their school-aged children.

A state plan would remove mandates on schoolchildren receiving shots for chickenpox, hepatitis B, Hib and pneumococcal disease. Comments can be made through Sept. 14.

Despite a call to end all vaccine mandates in the state of Florida, nothing has happened on a policy level. Yet, parents are confused, local pediatricians are seeing vaccine hesitancy growing and vaccine exemption rates are the highest they’ve been in a decade.

Florida's attempt to expand vaccine exemptions for children is back in play after it failed to pass during the regular session that ended March 13.

After a surge of flu just after Christmas, flu numbers have chilled out. Meanwhile, flu vaccination numbers continue to drop.

South Florida pediatricians say new federal guidance limiting which children receive certain vaccines could lower immunization rates and increase the risk of disease outbreaks, especially in a region with heavy international travel.