ORLANDO, Fla. – As students across Central Florida head back to school, a noticeable decline in childhood vaccination rates is raising concerns for some healthcare providers.
According to the latest data from Florida Health Charts, nearly 89% of kindergartners statewide met required immunization guidelines this year. But several Central Florida counties fell below that mark:
- Orange County – 85.4%
- Lake County – 86%
- Osceola County – 86.3%
- Volusia County – 88.6%
Practitioners say they’re seeing more families either delaying or opting out of routine vaccinations altogether.
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“Yeah, I’ve definitely seen a little bit of a decline when people come in to get their vaccines,” said Amy Saxton, a family nurse practitioner at CVS MinuteClinic in Orlando. “There’s probably the biggest decline with MMR, but also unfortunately in the flu shots and the COVID vaccines.”
Florida law requires several vaccinations for students entering kindergarten, including MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella), polio, hepatitis B, and DTaP, unless a medical or religious exemption is filed.
“I think a lot of misinformation and a lot of fear,” Saxton added. “The parents that I talk to all want to do the right thing. They want their child to be safe. But they unfortunately are being told that being safe is to not get the vaccines, which, exactly the opposite is true. It’s safer for their child to get the vaccines.”
With thousands of students returning to classrooms this month, local school districts will continue working to balance state immunization requirements with family choice.
Immunization rates can vary by school, even within the same district. Parents with questions about what’s required can contact their child’s school or county health department.