Florida Governor Proposes Vaccine Rule Change

DeSantis’ Final Push on School Vaccines

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis released a proposed regulation on Monday that would cut several vaccine requirements for public and private school students. The rule would also broaden the religious exemption to include parents who claim a “sincerely held moral or ethical belief.” With five months left before his term ends, the move appears to be a last-ditch effort to influence the upcoming election.

The proposal arrives just after Republican gubernatorial hopeful Byron Donalds said he would “study and really engage” the issue before deciding whether to repeal statutory vaccine mandates. Donalds linked a recent measles outbreak in southwest Florida to “people who have come into the country illegally” and have not received the standard vaccination schedule. That claim contrasts with Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo’s earlier suggestion that the outbreak is tied to abortion opposition.

Florida now ranks fifth in the nation for measles cases, with 142 reported infections. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists the following states ahead of Florida:

The spike has drawn criticism from medical professionals. Pediatrician Rana Alissa, president of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, warned that falling vaccination coverage can allow vaccine-preventable diseases to resurface.

Legislative and Public-Health Backlash

A group of Florida Democrats sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., CDC Acting Director Jay Bhattacharya, and Ladapo. Rep. Yvonne Hinson of Gainesville, along with 13 other House Democrats, expressed concern over lapses in communication and coordination during infectious-disease responses. They called for a renewed federal and state effort to restore confidence in core public-health responsibilities, including disease surveillance and outbreak reporting.

The proposed rule would eliminate mandates that are not required by law, modify the religious-exemption form, and allow parents to opt out of having their children’s records entered into SHOTS, the state’s free online immunization registry.

The Rule-Making Process

DeSantis’ administration had previously announced an intent to eliminate vaccine mandates, but the legislature did not act on the proposal during the 2026 regular session or any special sessions. Without legislative support, the governor’s office had to restart the administrative rule-making process.

The agency skipped the traditional notice of rule-making development step and instead issued a notice of a proposed rule change. Under Florida law, the public has 21 days to request a public hearing on the proposal. Hearings are more formal than workshops and give stakeholders a chance to comment on specific aspects of the rule.

If the agency does not alter the proposal after the hearing, the public has another 21 days to file a challenge with the state Division of Administrative Hearings. A successful challenge can delay the rule’s implementation for months.

Community Response

Cathy Mayfield, whose 18-year-old daughter died of meningitis in 2009, founded the Run for Lawson foundation to promote full immunization. Mayfield criticized the rule, saying it would “expand exemptions beyond religion to include broad moral or ethical beliefs,” potentially leaving more children unprotected.

The debate underscores how school-vaccine policy has become a campaign issue in Florida. The outcome of the rule-making process may hinge on whether DeSantis pushes the proposal through before his term ends.

This story was originally published by Florida Phoenix, a part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network.