Public Health Concerns - The Florida surgeon general's actions regarding vaccines are considered scandalous and not grounded in evidence or public health principles, potentially driven by political aims [3][4] - Decreasing vaccination rates in Florida could lead to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable illnesses like measles and polio, impacting not only unvaccinated children but also partially vaccinated ones [5][7][8] - Florida's childhood vaccine coverage is flirting with a dangerous threshold, nearing the level where herd immunity is not achieved, approximately 92-94% [6][7] Impact of Leadership & Guidance - Lack of steady leadership from the CDC impacts public health guidance nationwide, creating confusion and prompting states to counter federal guidance [9][10] - Three West Coast states are banding together to counter the CDC's lack of leadership, potentially embracing medical society guidelines [10] Vaccine Safety & Effectiveness - Vaccines are safe and effective, with no changes in the underlying science supporting their use [11] - Strong bipartisan support exists for vaccine requirements for children in schools, with polling data indicating 80% support [10] Resources - HealthyChildorg, produced by the American Academy of Pediatrics, and Immunizeorg are recommended resources for information on vaccines [11][12]

In just a few hours, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. . will head to Capitol Hill where he will testify before the Senate Finance Committee.The hearing gives lawmakers their first chance to question Kennedy on many of those recent moves he's made, including the ousting of CDC Director Susan Monz and the changing of COVID vaccine recommendations. Meanwhile, Florida is moving to eliminate all vaccine mandates, including ones for children to attend public school. This would make Florid ...