DeSantis Ditches Vax Mandates…Parents Reclaim Control Of Kids' Shots…Leaving Nanny State In The Dust

Posted • September 7, 2025: As a born-and-raised Floridian and parent of two grown kids (25 and 19), I’ve been closely following the heated debate over Florida’s new vaccine policy—especially since I’m hoping for grandkids who’ll call this state home someday. In case you missed it, Florida has officially scrapped vaccine mandates for children. Parents are now free to choose which vaccines—if any—their kids receive, without the heavy hand of the state forcing their hand. —— Joseph A. Ladapo, MD, PhD @FLSurgeonGen: “Thank you Chris Cuomo for a great conversation. Removing mandates means we can have true informed consent. When it comes to the health of our children, parents rights are #1 in Florida!” —— Florida’s new policy is all about putting parents back in the driver’s seat when it comes to our kids’ health and education. Here, we’ve got a thriving school choice program, so parents can pick any school that fits their family—public, private, or otherwise.

They can also homeschool, using funds that would’ve gone to government schools, or stick with the local neighborhood option. Now, on top of that, parents get to decide which vaccines their kids get and when—or if—they get them at all. No more strong-arming. And the best part? Schools can’t slam the door on kids just because their parents opt out of the full vaccine schedule. —— I’m not an anti-vaxxer. I support vaccines. Do I support every single one & the exact schedule they’re given? Honestly, no. It feels a bit overwhelming & unnecessary at times. That said, people freaking out over removing mandates are being ridiculous. Doctors will still be administering vaccines & recommending them. Anyone who wants them can still get them. The difference is patients will now have informed choices, without being punished by schools or jobs if they opt out for religious or medical reasons. What really gets me is how little attention these same people give to personal health & fitness.

If you’re overweight, eating garbage, smoking weed or cigarettes, drinking too much, abusing drugs, & never working out—you are a far bigger danger to society than a baby who isn’t drowning in shots. So maybe you want to relax. — When my son was born 25 years ago…we quickly discovered he had a severe milk protein allergy. My mom dove into research and found a correlation between boys with milk protein allergies and autism development after their 18-month vaccines. Now, correlation isn’t causation, but we weren’t about to roll the dice. I talked to my pediatrician, laid out my concerns, and he was straight with me: he couldn’t guarantee vaccines were 100% safe. He said it was my child, my choice, and he had my back. He even pointed me to a local doctor who’d administer the MMR shot separately, since some folks flagged the combo as an issue. Back then, Florida’s only path for getting my son into school without full vaccinations was claiming a religious exemption. So, that’s what I did.

My son didn’t start vaccines until he was 5, when his system was stronger. He got the MMR separately, and I skipped the chickenpox vaccine and a few others I didn’t think were necessary. Six years later, I followed the same plan with my daughter. I was crunchy before crunchy was cool, and I’m glad I stuck to my guns. I definitely faced pushback. My son’s kindergarten tried to block his enrollment because he wasn’t fully vaccinated. Thankfully, I invoked a religious exemption, but boy, did that ruffle their feathers! When my first pediatrician retired (God bless that gem of a man), finding another practice willing to take my lightly vaccinated kids was a real struggle. Let me tell you, going against the medical establishment is no walk in the park. —— This is the way. They aren’t taking vaccines away. People who want them are free to get them. The mandates were always the problem, as is no liability for vaccine manufacturers. That needs to go next!

Removing vaccine mandates means we can have true informed consent. Medical freedom. This is a major victory for parents and families, and a well-deserved kick in the pants for the nanny state. Here’s hoping other red state governors take a page from DeSantis’ playbook and keep the momentum going!