Ron DeSantis was blunt about the possibility of making the COVID-19 vaccine mandatory for children: "As long as I am governor, in Florida there will not be a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for children in our schools."
As long as I am Governor, in Florida there will not be a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for children in our schools. pic.twitter.com/oDXAj3c4Oy
- Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) October 20, 2022
The Florida governor was reacting to the CDC's approval Wednesday to add this vaccine to the recommended immunization schedule for children. The CDC does not have the capacity to mandate vaccines; this is a right held by the states. DeSantis noted that his office was questioned about the possibility of schools forcing students to be vaccinated against COVID-19:
There will be no COVID shot mandates for your kids. That is your decision to make as a parent.
Florida does not recommend the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children.
Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has not recommended booster vaccines for children. A few weeks ago, Ladapo published a study warning of the increased risk of death from heart problems for vaccinated men.
Florida's highest health authority insisted on not recommending COVID-19 vaccination among healthy children.
Regardless of what @CDCgov votes tomorrow on whether COVID-19 vax are added to routine child immunizations - nothing changes in FL.
Thanks to @GovRonDeSantis, COVID mandates are NOT allowed in FL, NOT pushed into schools, & I continue to recommend against them for healthy kids.
- Joseph A. Ladapo, MD, PhD (@FLSurgeonGen) October 18, 2022
DeSantis is not the only governor who shared his opposition to mandatory vaccines for children. Mike Parson of Missouri stated that he "will do everything under my authority to never let the federal government mandate COVID vaccines in our schools."
As long as I am Governor of Missouri, I will do everything under my authority to never let the federal government mandate COVID vaccines in our schools.
- Governor Mike Parson (@GovParsonMO) October 20, 2022
