Florida voters draw the line on school vaccine mandates

A new statewide poll shows overwhelming, bipartisan support for maintaining Florida’s long-standing school-entry vaccine requirements, landing just days before lawmakers are set to debate sweeping changes to childhood immunization policy.

The survey, conducted Jan. 5-8 by McLaughlin & Associates, found that 79% of likely 2026 voters support keeping Florida’s current vaccine requirements for schoolchildren, compared with 17% who oppose them. Support was broad and crossed political and demographic lines, including 71% of Republicans, 84% of voters with no party affiliation, and 78% of Hispanic voters.

“Across Florida, voters are aligned on keeping school vaccine requirements in place,” said Kas Miller, director of Florida Families for Vaccines. “Nearly eight in ten voters support the current standards, with strong majorities across parties, regions and demographic groups. This isn’t about politics. It’s about protecting kids. Voters want to prevent the spread of disease, and families consistently oppose rolling back safeguards that keep children healthy.”

Beyond general support, the poll revealed deep concern about the consequences of weakening existing requirements. Respondents expressed strong support for individual childhood vaccines and skepticism toward proposals to reduce state oversight of immunizations.

Key findings from the poll include:

— 65% oppose eliminating vaccine requirements for school-age children.

— 74% are concerned about outbreaks of preventable diseases if requirements are weakened.

— Support for individual vaccines remains high, including polio at 85%, MMR at 83%, varicella at 81%, TDAP at 80% and hepatitis B at 72%.

— 84% agree childhood vaccines have a proven track record of keeping children safe.

— 66% say they would be less likely to support a legislator who votes to eliminate school vaccine requirements.

The polling results come as the Senate prepares to consider SB 1756, a wide-ranging “medical freedom” proposal filed by Sen. Clay Yarborough. The bill would prohibit the state health officer from mandating vaccines during public health emergencies, expand religious and conscience-based exemptions for school entry, and require new parental acknowledgment forms before minors receive vaccines.

The legislation would also allow pharmacists to dispense ivermectin without a prescription and permit parents to request spaced-out vaccine schedules for their children, changes that public health advocates say could weaken uniform immunization standards.

A House companion measure, HB 917, by Rep. Jeff Holcomb, includes similar provisions. Among them is language barring discrimination based on vaccination status, a move supporters frame as protecting individual rights, but critics warn could undermine public health protections in schools and other settings.

Advocates for maintaining Florida’s existing vaccine standards say the poll offers a clear signal to lawmakers as the bills advance.

“Florida families want stability, safety and clear, evidence-based vaccine standards,” said Northe Saunders, president of American Families for Vaccines. “Florida’s long-standing vaccine requirements have helped keep classrooms open, child care centers reliable and communities protected. This polling shows strong, bipartisan support for maintaining those standards and reinforces how much Floridians value consistent, science-based protections for children.”

Pollster Jim McLaughlin, president of McLaughlin & Associates, said the findings reflect a firmly held public consensus rather than a fleeting political mood.

“The results show broad, intense and stable support across the electorate,” McLaughlin said. “Seventy-nine percent of voters support keeping Florida’s school vaccine requirements, and that support holds across regions, party identification and major demographic groups. When support is this consistent across subgroups, it indicates a well-established position among voters.”

The poll surveyed 1,000 likely November 2026 voters using landlines, cellphones and text-to-online methods and carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.1%. The Senate Health Policy Committee is scheduled to hear SB 1756 on Monday afternoon.