'It's just scary': In Florida, parents ponder future with fewer vaccines

Florida is pushing to end vaccine mandates as RFK Jr, an immunisation sceptic, remakes US vaccine policy.

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The four-year-old, who was diagnosed with Stage 4 kidney disease at birth, has spent two healthy years without any hospital visits, and is eager to be in class with friends, Ms Norwood said.

But the 32-year-old mother is beginning to reconsider sending her immunocompromised son to school, after Florida's surgeon general last week announced he would try to end vaccine mandates in the state, including those for school children.

"It's just scary," Ms Norwood said. "If these kids aren't vaccinated … he can get very, very sick if someone were to come in with the measles."

Medical experts and some parents worry the surgeon general's move will threaten the health of vulnerable children like Mason, setting the stage for a new era of infectious disease, driven by lower vaccine rates.