Following the recent release of Gov. Ron DeSantis’s plan to eliminate some Florida school vaccine mandates, debate has arisen over the need for vaccines and student health.
Polett Williams, a literacy coach at Silver Palms Elementary School in Pembroke Pines, has worked as a teacher for 22 years and shares her fears of the potential mandate removal.
“Sometimes you have ten children out in one classroom and they’re vaccinated,” Williams explains. “So I can’t even imagine how it would go if they were not vaccinated.”
Not only teachers, but also many doctors, are concerned over the mandate removal. Pediatrician Dr. Ausberto Hidalgo describes the significance of vaccines along with his concerns on misinformation.
“We have been able to control most of these pandemics due to these vaccines,” Hidalgo states. “When the society is not immunized, the consequences are very tough. Now, we have this society where everyone thinks they are a doctor because they can Google stuff.”
De Santis hopes to remove the vaccine mandate next year. The bill would need approval from the Florida Legislature when they reconvene in January of 2026. In the meantime, both teachers and doctors urge parents to consider their childrens’ safety and educate themselves.
