In Florida, the move to expand vaccine exemptions is not going forward.
The state legislature was slated to consider a bill last month that would have expanded school vaccine exemptions — but House lawmakers took the bill off the docket.
The House Speaker says lawmakers were concerned about the spread of infectious diseases.
Matt Hitchings, an epidemiologist at the University of Florida, said the decision makes sense from a public health standpoint.
“It’s a good decision for public health," Hitchings said, "and that doesn’t mean we should become complacent, because there may be some shenanigans that mean that actually this is going to come back around in another session.”
Meanwhile, Gov. Ron DeSantis called the House’s move “political shenanigans.”
But Hitchings disagreed with that framing.
“It’s naive to say that public health is apolitical, but it’s still something we aspire to," he said. "Looking after public health really does benefit everyone no matter where you lie on the political spectrum.”
Lawmakers could still consider the bill in a future session.