Florida's move to become the first U.S. state to eliminate vaccine requirements marks a stunning step backward in public health. It's not just a threat to Floridians—it sets a dangerous precedent that could echo far beyond America's borders, emboldening anti-science voices worldwide.
State Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has called vaccine mandates "immoral" intrusions on personal rights. But history proves the opposite: vaccines are not arbitrary rules. They are the single most effective tool humanity has to protect children, families, and entire communities from preventable diseases.
Dismantling school and daycare immunization requirements would swing the door wide open to illnesses we thought we had left in the past. Measles, polio, diphtheria—names that sound like ancient history to younger generations—could once again return to classrooms, neighborhoods, and families.
This is not speculation. It is fact. The World Health Organization estimates that vaccines have saved 154 million lives over the past 50 years, most of them infants and children. Every vaccinated child is not only protected personally but also helps shield those who cannot receive vaccines for medical reasons. That's herd immunity: the invisible shield that keeps society safe.
Opponents of vaccination mandates often invoke the language of "freedom." But freedom does not mean the right to endanger others. Choosing not to vaccinate is not simply a personal decision—it's a collective risk. It exposes newborns, cancer patients, and the immunocompromised to diseases they cannot fight alone.
That's why Florida's path is so dangerous. And the threat doesn't stop at the state line. Across the Atlantic, anti-vaccine rhetoric is already gaining traction, fueled by libertarian slogans and misinformation campaigns. This is precisely why we need a firm, unapologetic stance: yes to vaccination, yes to science, yes to responsibility.
The Democratic governors of California, Oregon, and Washington have already stepped forward, forming an alliance to safeguard public health policies against political interference. Their example should inspire leaders everywhere. Vaccination is not optional—it's a duty to protect our children and the generations to come.
We stand today at a crossroads. On one side: decades of progress, millions of lives saved, and a future where preventable diseases remain in check. On the other: the reckless dismantling of those protections in the name of a false idea of liberty.
The choice should be clear. Because without vaccines, there is no safety, no stability—no future.
Marco Baratto
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