Florida lawmakers advance new vaccine exemption bill as measles cases rise

TAMPA - Measles case rates have surged nationwide since late December, according to the Centers for Disease Control, and Florida is already seeing a sharp increase early in the year. The CDC has confirmed six measles cases statewide since the start of the year, nearly matching the eight total cases reported in all of 2025.

At the same time, a new bill that would expand vaccine exemptions for schoolchildren is advancing in the Florida Legislature.

The proposed legislation, titled Medical Freedom, would allow parents to claim a "conscience-based" exemption to school vaccination requirements. Florida already allows religious exemptions under current law.

Supporters argue the bill gives parents greater control over medical decisions involving their children.

Opponents counter that weakening vaccine requirements could undermine herd immunity and leave vulnerable populations, including infants and immunocompromised individuals, at greater risk for highly contagious diseases like measles.

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Measles Cases on the Rise in Florida

At least one of the confirmed measles cases is in Hillsborough County and is attributed to local transmission. A second Bay Area case in Manatee County is believed to be linked to international travel. Both patients are adults between the ages of 20 and 24.

In Northeast Florida, two pediatric measles cases have been confirmed in Jacksonville. Another case in St. Johns County involved a man in his late 20s. The Florida Department of Health has not released information about the sixth case.

Nationally, measles cases have spiked since late December, with the number of confirmed cases swelling to more than 500 in the four-week period between December 28 and January 18, according to the CDC. The majority of cases in 2026, 338, have been concentrated in South Carolina.

Growing Concern from the Medical Community

Medical professionals say measles spreads easily in communities with lower vaccination coverage and can have serious consequences for children, who are at higher risk of developing pneumonia.

Dr. Thomas Unnasch, a Distinguished USF Health Professor Emeritus, says vaccinating children remains critical to preventing severe illness.

"You should really understand that this is not a pleasant disease for your kid. If you want to roll the dice and take a chance, 20% of the children who are unvaccinated and get measles end up in the hospital and about three in 1,000 children who end up getting the infection die as a result of it if they're unvaccinated," explained Unnasch.

Vaccination Rates and Current School Requirements

According to CDC data, just under 89% of Florida kindergartners received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine before the 2024-25 school year.

State law currently requires children entering school to be vaccinated against polio, measles, mumps, rubella, diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis. Additional required vaccines protect against hepatitis B, chickenpox, and meningitis, but Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo has called for eliminating some of those vaccine requirements.

What's next:

The Medical Freedom Bill passed a committee hearing on Monday by a six to four vote. It must receive approval from two additional committees before it can move to the full Senate.