As has been reported, Florida announced that the state plans to eliminate all vaccination mandates currently in state law. Some changes will be implemented through regulation and are set to take effect after 90 days, removing immunization requirements for hepatitis B, chickenpox, Haemophilus influenzae type b (Hib) and pneumococcal conjugate vaccines.
Other changes – including the elimination of requirements for poliomyelitis, diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, measles, mumps and rubella – will require legislative approval when the Florida Legislature reconvenes in 2026. The move could prompt other states to consider similar actions, potentially creating a patchwork of vaccine requirements across the country.
In contrast, several states on the West Coast and in the Northeast are taking steps to reaffirm or strengthen vaccination policies. California, Hawaii, Oregon and Washington have formed the West Coast Health Alliance, a regional coalition that will base vaccination guidelines on principles of safety, efficacy, transparency, access and trust. Meanwhile, 10 states in the northeast (Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Vermont) formed a similar partnership known as the Northeast Public Health Collaborative.
