Florida ending vaccine mandates: Data shows rates were already declining

TAMPA, Fla. — On Wednesday, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced the state’s Department of Health (DOH) will be working to end all vaccine mandates.

However, he didn’t give a specific timeline for when the mandates would end — or how his team would achieve this. If the plan were to go through, Florida would be the first state to get rid of vaccine mandates.

Right now, students in K-12 must still meet specific immunization requirements to go to school in Florida. No other state has a complete ban, but all states allow exemptions from the requirements for medical reasons. State laws also vary regarding religious or personal reasons, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.

RELATED: Florida’s vaccine requirements for children in schools

The latest data from the Florida DOH health charts webpage shows that immunization rates have already been declining over the past few years.

“Monitoring vaccination levels helps reduce vaccine-preventable diseases by improving vaccination coverage among school-age children. It emphasizes importance of vaccination and compliance with state vaccination requirements among children enrolled in kindergarten and 7th grade,” the webpage states.

Below is a comparison of the rate, or percentage, of students across Tampa Bay that had their immunizations completed in 2020 vs. 2025. 

10 Tampa Bay News’ Alexa Herrera contributed to this report.