A.G. Gancarski
Timing is everything, and there’s no mistaking how quickly the Donald Trump administration rose to back Florida’s move to eliminate vaccine mandates.
In a press release, Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. said Vaccines for Children Program (VCP) providers “must respect state laws protecting religious and conscience-based exemptions to vaccine mandates.”
Even though the release didn’t mention the Sunshine State, Gov. Ron DeSantis or Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, the implication is clear: The White House is behind states that might move to provide an exit ramp from mandatory shots.
“States have the authority to balance public health goals with individual freedom, and honoring those decisions builds trust. Protecting both public health and personal liberty is how we restore faith in our institutions and Make America Healthy Again,” Kennedy added in a statement from the Cabinet Department’s press office.
DeSantis proposed an end to all vaccine mandates this week during a press conference in which he also announced Florida’s own MAHA committee that will include First Lady Casey DeSantis, Lt. Gov. Jay Collins and other state officials.
HHS’s Office of Civil Rights (OCR) noted that religious objections suffice as justification not to get vaccinated.
“VCP providers should be aware that in addition to explicit religious exemptions, state religious freedom laws may limit vaccine mandates that substantially burden religious exercise,” said Paula M. Stannard, the OCR Director.
“Some individuals with religious or moral objections don’t oppose vaccination itself. They may have specific concerns that focus on the development or manufacturing of particular vaccines. For example, parents may object to immunizing their children with vaccines historically derived from aborted fetal cell lines, based on their sincere and deeply held beliefs about the sanctity of life,” Stannard added.
