What Would Doc Say?

On Wednesday of this week, we learned that children in Florida will no longer be required or mandated to receive vaccines against preventable diseases including measles, mumps, chickenpox, polio and hepatitis.

That caused me to scratch my head.

This was announced by the state’s surgeon general Joseph Ladapo who is a longtime skeptic of the benefit of vaccines.

In his announcement at a press conference in Tampa, Ladapo said every state vaccine requirement would be repealed, and that he expected the move would receive the blessing “of God.”

Again, scratching my head.

In talking about the vaccines Ladapo said, “Every last one of them is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery!”

Now I’ve got a head scratching habit.

Since the beginning of the 1980s all 50 states have had school immunization requirements but this move would make Florida the first state to end a longstanding – and constitutionally upheld – practice of requiring certain vaccines for school students.

All states allow medical exemptions from these school vaccine mandates, and most also allow for exemptions due to personal or religious beliefs.

The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that Florida’s school vaccine exemption rate last school year– about 5% – was higher than the national average, and nearly all were for nonmedical reasons.

Okay so much for the building blocks for this Substack. Now let’s get down to the nitty and gritty because I know what all of you are thinking.

The Potential Impact on Walt Disney World

This news pretty much exploded a ton of comments on social media from those who frequent Florida and especially Walt Disney World.

I could spend an hour just listing the comments but maybe I can summarize some of them for you:

• Many people are thinking about cancelling plans to visit Walt Disney World with their families later this year and all of 2026.

• I know of several runners who are now thinking they don't want to enter any races in Florida…this will be interesting because the runDisney races sell out fast.

• There are folks who go to Florida to take cruises…thinking they may cancel plans or change their port of departure…to one outside of Florida.

• There have been some concerns by those living in Florida who aren’t crazy about their children being in unvaccinated schoolrooms.

• Teachers have expressed concerns about teaching to a classroom of unvaccinated children.

• Medical providers have chimed in with concerns.

• Then there is the large population of elderly people in Florida. They are susceptible to infections. Will they stop interacting with their grandchildren?

• Finally, what about the frontline people we encounter every day we visit a Walt Disney World theme park? I am talking about cast members of course. They are already, in my opinion, underappreciated. Now they may, in the future be facing the possibility of being infected by the slew of children, unvaccinated, who come through the turnstiles every day.

Funny Yet Serious

Oh, and there were some clever takes on the renaming of certain attractions which may be both funny yet serious.

• Mickey & Minnie’s Runaway Viruses

• Spaceship Flu

• The Carousel of Disease

• It’s a Smallpox World

• Scurvy of the Caribbean

• Rise of the Pandemic

• Typhoon Mary Lagoon

• Measles Mountain

• Dying with The Land

The Bottom Line

It’s hard not to get political regarding this move by Florida and I try to stay apolitical with this Substack.

I will say this, however, and that is to quote the sayings, “If it ain’t broke don’t fix it!,” and “Trust the science.”

Finally, as much as I have mentioned that if this removal of vaccine mandates does take place, that it may impact Walt Disney World, not to mention other places like Universal Studios, Sea world, etc. what about the impact on property taxes? Let’s say for instance this keeps a lot of vacationers away to the tune of several billions of tourism dollars. Will it raise property taxes to make up for the difference? What about property values? Will they drop? Bargains may await those brave enough to move to Florida despite the potential danger.

I’m wondering. Because of this would Walt Disney World, Universal Studios and others require guests to wear masks?

There’s so much to say about this.

What would Doc say?

See you next time.