vaccinations

The highly contagious disease was reported by someone 20 to 24 years old in Polk. It's unknown if it's connected to a school outbreak in Broward, where a case involving a child under 5 was confirmed.

In the wake of six measles cases at a Broward school, Florida's surgeon general writes that the Department of Health “is deferring to parents or guardians to make decisions about school attendance” without urging the need for MMR vaccinations.

Usually, 94% to 95% of kindergartners are vaccinated against measles, tetanus and other diseases. The vaccination rates dropped below 94% in the 2020-21 school year, and to 93% in 2021-22.

Federal health authorities recommend a pneumococcal vaccine for children 2 and under, adults over 64 and people of all ages with certain medical conditions.

The pandemic caused some kids to fall behind on routine immunizations, and Florida has some of the lowest child COVID-19 vaccination rates in the country.

On Florida Roundup: Sharing reporting from across the state from our public media partners on public health, the pandemic and the opioid battle, plus a baseball tale.

Dr. Scott Rivkees contradicts much of the evidence given by Florida’s health department in recommending that healthy children need not be vaccinated for COVID-19.

Legislators in Kansas are pushing bills to expand exemptions for school vaccines, allowing religious exemptions for all vaccine requirements without families having to provide any proof of their beliefs. Similar bills are being introduced around the nation.

According to the lawsuit, the mandate forces vaccinations on staff, volunteers and others in contact with Head Start preschool students and forces masks on everyone age 2 and older. .

The session, which starts Nov. 15, was called by Gov. Ron DeSantis to push back against the Biden administration on federal vaccination requirements.

This ruling split from a South Florida federal judge, who sided in August with Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings in a challenge to the state law. In both cases, the plaintiffs argued that the law was an unconstitutional restriction on speech.

Pinellas and Hillsborough counties have adjusted the COVID-19 registration process for residents 65 and older due to website issues.