Florida plans to end all state vaccine mandates, including for children to attend schools, the state’s surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, announced on Wednesday, likening the requirements to “slavery.”
The announcement was quickly condemned by public health experts, who warned the move could trigger severe outbreaks among children, tourists and those with compromised immune systems.
Ladapo, along with Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, cast the issue as one of personal choice.
“Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery,” Ladapo said at a press conference in Tampa. “Who am I as a government or anyone else, or who am I as a man standing here now to tell you what to do with your body?”
Ladapo did not provide specifics or a timeline for the changes. DeSantis, a Republican