Kentucky leaders watch Florida vaccine debate as school requirements questioned

LEXINGTON, Ky. (ABC36 NEWS NOW) – A new debate is brewing over school vaccine requirements, with parents, health leaders, and advocacy groups divided over whether mandates should be strengthened or scaled back.

The Associated Press reports that Florida’s Department of Health is moving to drop several school vaccine requirements — including chickenpox, hepatitis B, Hib, influenza, and certain pneumococcal vaccines. Changes could take effect in about 90 days. Requirements for measles, polio, and mumps would remain unless lawmakers intervene.

That move has caught the attention of education and health leaders in Kentucky. Autumn Neagle, president of the Kentucky PTA, says the organization will follow state law but would advocate for stronger protections.

“We would follow all of our laws, obviously,” Neagle said. “However, we would advocate for reversing that to make sure that all of our kids are vaccinated that can be. We recommend school districts and states to do immunizations because that protects all of our children.”

Doctors warn the risks of reducing requirements could be serious. Dr. Sean McTigue, Interim Chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at UK HealthCare, said he has personally seen unvaccinated children with chickenpox develop pneumonia and even life-threatening sepsis.

Advocates also stress that the impact goes beyond families with school-aged children. “Some people say, well, I don’t have a kid, so I don’t need to worry about what the school system’s doing,” one advocate said. “Well, that kid is going to be in the workforce one day.”

Kentucky’s vaccine requirements remain unchanged, but education and health leaders say Florida’s actions are a reminder that the debate is far from over.