Florida’s Department of Health has published a proposed rule that would eliminate school immunization requirements for chickenpox, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B and pneumococcal disease.
The proposal, published Aug. 24, would remove requirements for immunizations not mandated by state law. Under Florida statute, schoolchildren must still be vaccinated against polio, diphtheria, tetanus, measles, rubella, pertussis and mumps, along with other communicable diseases the health department designates by rule — a category that currently includes the four vaccines targeted for removal. Public comment on the rule is open through Sept. 14.
The rule would also update the state’s Certification of Immunization and Religious Exemption forms, including by adding moral and ethical beliefs as grounds for an exemption. It would also revise related Florida SHOTS compliance and opt-out forms.
The move follows an effort Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, MD, PhD, announced in September 2025 to eliminate all vaccine mandates in the state. At the time, health officials said requirements for the four diseases included in the proposed rule could be eliminated through department action, while mandates for measles, polio and other statutorily required vaccines would require legislative changes. Medical groups including the Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America and the American Academy of Pediatrics have opposed the broader plan, warning it could increase the risk of preventable disease outbreaks.
The proposal also comes about two weeks after President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 10 overhauling the federal childhood vaccine schedule. The order listed hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B and pneumococcal disease among the immunizations recommended for all children, alongside measles, mumps and rubella, and directed HHS, the Justice Department and the Education Department to ensure states provide religious and medical exemptions from childhood immunization requirements. The American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Medical Association and the American Academy of Physician Associates criticized the federal order, saying it lacked scientific backing and could weaken public confidence in vaccines.
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