Florida's Catholic bishops have firmly rejected state Attorney General James Uthmeier's push for religious vaccine exemptions, stating that parents who disagree are "free to choose a different educational path" like Catholic virtual or home schooling. The bishops emphasize their policy is "rooted in the desire to protect the common good" and cite the Catechism: "Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God."

The bishops note that vaccines protect not only healthy children but also vulnerable groups, including children with medical conditions, expectant teachers, and elderly relatives. Their stand comes as Florida's Republican leaders, including Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, continue to attack vaccination requirements, with Ladapo claiming every vaccine requirement "drips with disdain and slavery."

On Monday, the state proposed removing vaccine requirements for chickenpox, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B, and pneumococcal, while expanding religious exemptions. The bishops' letter counters a common anti-vaccine fallacy that undermining vaccines upholds religious freedom, when it can actually attack it.

Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also proposed weakening federal vaccine recommendations "in favor of individual autonomy and religious freedom." Yet, no major religion forbids vaccinations, and most embrace them as a common good. The bishops concluded that they "will not succumb to affronts to religious freedom."