US residents have shared their concerns after one particular state announced plans to scrap vaccine mandates.
The US Centers for Disease Control has long touted the safety and importance of vaccines, assuring on its website that 'modern vaccines contain only the ingredients that are needed for the vaccines to be as safe and effective as possible'.
Vaccines are intended to build immunity to disease, with research from the CDC showing that routine vaccinations for children born during 1994–2023 will have prevented about 508 million illnesses and 32 million hospitalizations, as well as saving more than 1.1 million lives.
But in spite of these positive findings, claims and theories about vaccines have planted doubt among some members of the public.
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Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is now Donald Trump's Health Secretary, is among those to share concerns, having been known to claim that 'autism comes from vaccines' - despite there being no evidence to support this allegation.
As debates around vaccines continue, Florida has announced plans to eliminate 'all' vaccine mandates, becoming the first state to do so. The state currently requires vaccinations for students going to public school.
The decision was announced by State Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo, who claimed vaccine mandates are 'wrong' and 'immoral'. While the state is not banning vaccinations, Ladapo argued that the government should not 'tell you what you should put in your body'.
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"Who am I to tell you what your child should put in [their] body? I don’t have that right," he said. “You want to put whatever different vaccines in your body, God bless you. I hope you make an informed decision.
"You don’t want to put whatever vaccines in your body, God bless you. I hope you make an informed decision. That’s how it should be.”
The decision has sparked backlash from both members of the public and medical experts, with Dr. Rana Alissa, chair of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, warning of the impacts of removing vaccine mandates.
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She told the Associated Press: “When everyone in a school is vaccinated, it is harder for diseases to spread and easier for everyone to continue learning and having fun. When children are sick and miss school, caregivers also miss work, which not only impacts those families but also the local economy.”
On social media, concerned residents shared their thoughts as one person wrote: "The stupidity is terrifying."
"Vaccines are one of mankind’s greatest achievements. This makes me sad," another added, as a third wrote: "Vaccines brought us out of the dark ages."
Dr. Richard Besser, a former acting director of the CDC, described the idea of children going to school unvaccinated as 'absolutely frightening'.
Topics: Florida, Health, US News, Donald Trump
Emily Brown