Vaccination Requirements for Florida's Students Are Ending- What are the effects?

Now that school is back in session, or will be in a week or so, I thought it would be important to update everyone on a decision that is being made in Florida, but could cause a ripple effect on other states. As of today, September 3rd, Florida has announced that they are trying to end the vaccine requirements for students to attend school. According to a physician, Mr. Cassidy, “We’re going to start having vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks at school. You're going to have children who come to school with measles and infect other people who either have not been vaccinated or have some sort of disease, like cancer” (Mazzei). Although vaccination rates are already going down in other states, in part since people are obtaining religious exemptions, having this requirement lifted in Florida could cause outbreaks in children that haven’t been prevalent in America for decades, such as chickenpox and mumps; both of these have severe long-term effects, such as encephalitis- the inflammation or swelling of the brain. Although a big part of living in America is having personal freedoms like speech, religion, and assembly, it is important to note that not being vaccinated doesn’t solely affect the student that chooses not to vaccinate, but all of the people they surround themselves with; this could hurt their younger sibling whom they see every day or a random kid that they happen to play with in the park once. 

Works Cited

Mazzei, Patricia. "Florida Moves to End Vaccine Mandates for Schoolchildren." New York Times, 3 Sept. 2025, www.nytimes.com/2025/09/03/us/florida-vaccine-mandates.html. Accessed 3 Sept. 2025.

"Mumps Symptoms and Complications." CDC, 5 June 2024, www.cdc.gov/mumps/

signs-symptoms/index.html. Accessed 3 Sept. 2025.

"Chickenpox Symptoms and Complications." CDC, 10 May 2024, www.cdc.gov/

     chickenpox/signs-symptoms/index.html. Accessed 3 Sept. 2025.