Florida
Vaccination rates among Florida kids lowest in decade
Lower vaccination rates in Florida
Evyn Moon reports
TAMPA, Fla. – The vaccination rate of Florida kindergartners has fallen to 90%, the lowest in more than a decade, and pediatricians across the state are concerned at the significant dip.
Although 90% may seem high, public health experts recommend a vaccination rate of at least 95%, because lower than that increases the risk of outbreaks.
“While 90% still sounds fantastic, if you think of all the children in the state of Florida, 10% of those kids not being vaccinated is quite a number,” said Dr. Rachel Dawkins, a Johns Hopkins All Children’s pediatrician. “We have seen drops in vaccination rates across the board and especially since COVID. We have a lot more people declining, things like the flu vaccine.”
READ: COVID XEC variant, supposedly more contagious, starting to spread
Doctors said the pandemic caused more parents to start questioning the standard shots most kids have always gotten to prevent diseases like hepatitis, measles, mumps, polio, chickenpox, among others.
“Vaccines are critically important,” Dawkins said. “I know that a lot of people feel like, ‘Why are we doing these? We don’t see these diseases,’ but we used to see a lot of these diseases, and they were prevented by vaccines and the diseases that we’re trying to prevent with vaccination can be deadly, especially in kids.”
A recent Gallup poll found 40% of Americans said it is extremely important for parents to make sure their kids are vaccinated – that’s down from 58% in 2019.
Most public schools in the Tampa Bay area require students to be vaccinated with the major shots, but Florida has a religious exemption, and data by the Department of Health shows more and more parents are using that exemption each month.
HEALTH: New COVID vaccines rolling out amid surge in cases
Dawkins encouraged parents to express concerns to their pediatrician.
“As a pediatrician, we’re here for you and your family,” Dawkins said. “We want to talk to you about your concerns. I know it seems overwhelming, and you want to protect your child. This is really the best way to protect your child from illness is to get them vaccinated.”
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VOLUSIA COUNTY, Fla. – If you felt shaking along Florida’s east coast on Thursday, you’re not alone. But it wasn’t an earthquake.
A strong “experimental explosion” was reported in the waters off Central Florida on Thursday afternoon, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The USGS website indicates that the explosion happened around 3:04 p.m., roughly 91 miles east-northeast of Ponce Inlet.
Per the agency, the event registered a preliminary magnitude of 3.9. However, few other details about what may have caused the explosion have been provided at this time.
“The recorded ground motions from this event are more typical of an explosion than a naturally occurring earthquake,” the USGS website reads. “The Navy has conducted Full Ship Shock Trials in this region in the past.”
[A LOOK BACK: U.S.S. Gerald R. Ford performs shock trials on an aircraft carrier in 2021]
News 6 has reached out to Navy officials for more information and is awaiting additional details.
Anyone who felt the impact of the explosion is urged to report their experience here.
Copyright 2026 by WKMG ClickOrlando – All rights reserved.
Florida preacher Tommie Zito discusses his acquisition of the former Green Mountain College in Vermont to establish “Z University,” a Christian college.
Florida preacher Tommie Zito discusses his mission to transform the abandoned Green Mountain College in Vermont into “Z University,” a Christian college. Zito’s goal is to train future leaders in evangelism, business, government, and music. He plans for the college to be fully operational by August 2027, emphasizing the need for godly institutions to counter current educational trends.
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