Now that Florida is taking steps to be the first state to get rid of school vaccine mandates, some states are looking at following its lead while others are promising to protect vaccines for children and adults.
Florida’s announcement Wednesday along with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy’s attempts to advance anti-vaccine policies have widened the debate over vaccine mandates — long a centerpiece of fighting infectious diseases.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said roughly 4 million deaths are prevented annually worldwide by childhood vaccinations.
While most Americans say kids should be vaccinated to attend school, adults nationwide are now less likely to think those immunizations are important. At the same time, routine childhood vaccine rates are falling.
Here is a rundown of what states are saying about vaccine mandates:
Massachusetts moves to protect access
Democratic Gov. Maura Healey governor issued a bulletin Thursday saying insurance carriers will be required to cover vaccinations recommended by the state’s department of public health regardless of whether they are endorsed by the federal government. Healey said she wants to make sure residents can afford the vaccines they want.
Vaccinations that Massachusetts insurers would be required to cover include routine shots for children, like measles, chickenpox and Hepatitis B. Healey said her state is also leading a bipartisan coalition of eight Northeast states that met over the summer to discuss coordinating vaccine recommendations.
West Coast governors band together
The Democratic governors in Washington, Oregon and California announced this week that they have created an alliance to establish their own recommendations for who should receive vaccines. They plan to coordinate their vaccine recommendations and immunization plans based on science-based evidence from respected national medical organizations, according to a joint statement.
Illinois seeks…