States move to protect vaccines in the face of attempts to remove mandates

Now that Florida is taking steps to be the first state to get rid of school vaccine mandates, some states are looking at following its lead while others are promising to protect vaccines for children and adults.

Florida's announcement on Wednesday along with U.S. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's attempts to advance anti-vaccine policies have widened the debate over vaccine mandates — long a centerpiece of fighting infectious diseases.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that roughly 4 million deaths are prevented annually worldwide by childhood vaccinations.

While most Americans say kids should be vaccinated to attend school, adults nationwide are now less likely to think those immunizations are important. At the same time, routine childhood vaccine rates ar