Florida is aiming to become the first US state to cancel all of its vaccine mandates, many of which require children to get jabs against diseases like polio in order to attend public schools.
In announcing the plans on Wednesday, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, likened the mandates to “slavery”.
He said, “Who am I to tell you what your child should put in your body? I don’t have that right. Your body is a gift from God.”
Florida officials did not give a timeline or details on ending the mandates.
BBC News says several may only be repealed through a vote by the Republican-led state legislature, while others can be scrapped by the state health department.
Democratic state lawmaker Anna Eskamani was among those criticising plan to end all mandates, decrying it as “reckless and dangerous” and “a public health disaster in the making for the Sunshine State.”
