Florida Backs Away From Expanding School Vaccine Exemptions

Florida health officials are backing away from a proposal that would have expanded the reasons parents can exempt children from required school vaccinations.

The Department of Health initially proposed allowing exemptions based on sincerely held moral or ethical beliefs, in addition to religion.

A new filing removes that language, leaving religious beliefs as the non-medical basis for an exemption.

The issue has local implications — the latest state data show about 87-percent of Escambia County students covered by immunization reporting were fully vaccinated last school year.