Vaccine Hesitancy Poses Growing Risk to Florida Schools
Florida has become one of the states most affected by vaccine hesitancy, a public health trend that is raising alarm as exemption requests for school-required immunizations reach record highs. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 3.6 percent of kindergarten students nationwide received exemptions from vaccines in the last school year, compared to 3.3 percent the year before. Vaccination rates among young children have now dropped to 92.5 percent, below the critical 95 percent threshold needed to prevent outbreaks of highly contagious diseases such as measles, rubella, and mumps.
In Florida, where public debate over vaccines intensified during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, local school districts are seeing an increase in parental requests for exemptions based on personal or religious beliefs. While medical exemptions remain rare, non-medical exemptions are fueling the growing gap in community protection. Health experts warn that vaccine misinformation on social media has accelerated skepticism, leaving more children vulnerable to preventable diseases.
Dr. Jeffrey Bratberg, Clinical Professor at the University of Rhode Island College of Pharmacy, explained that unvaccinated children face far more severe disease symptoms, missed school days, hospitalizations, and even death. Alarmingly, two U.S. children recently died of measles—the first such deaths in decades and events experts say could have been prevented if vaccination rates had remained above 95 percent.
The risks extend beyond unvaccinated children. Vaccines, though highly effective, are not 100 percent protective. Lower immunization levels mean that even vaccinated children, or those with underlying medical conditions, could be exposed during outbreaks. This decline undermines herd immunity, which safeguards entire communities by stopping transmission at its source.
Florida, with its large population and diverse school districts, is particularly vulnerable. Recent measles outbreaks across the country highlight the danger: measles spreads twelve times faster than influenza and is twice as contagious as COVID-19. In most cases, over 80 percent of those infected were unvaccinated.
Bratberg emphasizes that routine vaccinations are among the safest and most effective medical tools available, preventing over 1 million deaths and 500 million illnesses in the U.S. over the past three decades. In Florida, where many families are relocating from other states and countries, maintaining strong vaccination programs is essential to prevent new outbreaks.
If vaccination rates continue to decline, Florida schools may face more frequent disruptions, higher healthcare costs, and unnecessary tragedies. The message from experts is clear: vaccinating children on time is not only protection for them, but also a gift of safety for their classmates, families, and communities.
