1. United States
2. Fla.
3. Letter

I am writing to urge you to reject Governor Ron DeSantis’s proposal to weaken or eliminate long-standing vaccine requirements for schools in Florida. These policies have protected generations of children from preventable diseases such as measles, polio, and whooping cough, and they remain one of the most effective public health measures available. Rolling back vaccine mandates would put Florida’s families at unnecessary risk and undermine decades of public health progress. Public health experts consistently warn that weakening these protections can reduce vaccination rates and increase the spread of preventable diseases—especially endangering infants, immunocompromised individuals, and others who rely on community immunity to stay safe. I am also concerned about the expansion or misuse of so-called medical or religious exemptions as a workaround to basic public health protections. While legitimate medical exemptions for those who cannot safely receive vaccines are necessary, broad or loosely applied exemptions weaken community immunity and allow preventable diseases to re-enter our schools and communities. I believe this proposal prioritizes politics over science and public health. Schools should be places where families can trust that basic safeguards are in place to protect students, teachers, and staff. Weakening vaccine requirements threatens that trust and risks exposing communities to avoidable health crises. As a Floridian, I urge you to stand up for evidence-based policy, protect the health of our children, and reject efforts to dismantle vaccine mandates that have safeguarded our communities for decades.