When it comes to the future of childhood immunisations, all eyes are on Robert F. Kennedy Jr, US Secretary of Health and Human Services, and his audacious attempt to discredit vaccinations with misinformation and dodgy “science”.
But state governments have their own weapons to destroy vaccine uptake in line with the MAHA (make America healthy again) agenda. Children in the United States are currently required to be vaccinated against a range of infectious diseases, including measles, to attend school and kindergarten. This week, Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis announced the state will scrap all vaccine mandates for children attending school, describing them as “slavery”.
With strong support from the Surgeon General of Florida to abolish vaccine mandates, and with the Florida State Senate and House of Representatives both controlled by Republicans, the measure is likely to proceed.
