"You have vaccines that work": Trump expressed doubts about eliminating vaccination mandates in Florida
Trump's remarks came a day after Florida's Republican Governor Ron DeSantis and the state's surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, announced their intentions to officially eliminate vaccination mandates in Florida.
President Donald Trump speaks to reporters from the White House.
The president Donald Trump commented Friday thathe had reservations about the state of Florida completely eliminating vaccination mandates, detailing that this was a "difficult position" and arguing that there are some vaccines that are not only uncontroversial but also effective. "I think we have to be very careful. You have some vaccines that are so amazing," Trump told reporters inside the Oval Office, adding that the polio vaccine and the COVID-19 vaccine, which was developed during his first administration, were necessary.
"You have some vaccines that are so incredible. I think you have to be very careful when you say some people don’t have to be vaccinated. It’s a very tough position. Just initially I heard about it yesterday, and it’s a tough stance. Look, you have vaccines that work. They just pure and simple work. They’re not controversial at all, and I think those vaccines should be used, otherwise some people are going to catch it, and they endanger other people. And when you don’t have controversy at all, I think people should take it," Trump stressed.
A controversial announcement
Trump's remarks came a day after Florida's Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, and the state's surgeon general, Joseph Ladapo, announced their intentions to officially eliminate vaccination mandatesin Florida. The announcement was not surprising, considering not only that DeSantis had previously hinted at taking this step, but also that he challenged the restrictions by COVID during one of the height of the pandemic, achieving nationwide notoriety for such a decision.
Similarly, Ladapo stated that the state Department of Health, which is the agency he heads, will eliminate any and all regulations on vaccination mandates, and even compared them to slavery. His announcement proved controversial, considering that Florida has for decades required numerous vaccines for children attending schools, including those that protect against hepatitis B, chickenpox, polio, mumps and measles.
"All of them. Every last one of them. Who am I as a man standing here now to tell you what you should put in your body?" said Ladapo.
Kennedy Jr. and his stance against vaccines
During his tenure, Kennedy Jr. has unilaterally modified recommendations on COVID-19 vaccines, as well as suggested changes to the childhood vaccination schedule and even cut funding for mRNA research.
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