As Florida’s surgeon general announced earlier this week that the state plans to roll back vaccine mandates, some are wondering whether similar efforts could advance in Georgia.
While there have been no formal proposals or public conversations from Georgia officials about ending vaccine mandates, health experts warn that the ripple effects from Florida could influence future policy and potentially result in serious public health consequences, especially for the Black community.
In an interview with Capital B Atlanta, Jodie Guest, a professor and the senior vice chair of the Department of Epidemiology at Emory University’s School of Public Health, said what’s happening in Florida could “open the floodgates” for other states to follow suit in ending vaccine laws.
And for Black residents, Guest said ending vaccine mandates could have far-reaching repercussions, given the historical mistrust in the health care system.
“There is a lot of hesitancy in our Black communities about the trustworthiness of scientists and vaccines … that’s rooted in historical injustices, and it’s something public health needs to own,” said Guest.
She said removing vaccine mandates in Georgia could also exacerbate existing health racial disparities, especially when it comes to vaccine access.
“If mandates are removed, insurance companies may no longer be required to cover vaccinations,” said Guest. “That would make them harder to get, especially in lower-income or underserved communities.”
Guest said that schools, which often serve as critical access points for childhood vaccines, could also scale back or eliminate vaccination clinics if mandates are lifted, leaving a gap that disproportionately affects communities of color.
Nancy Nydam Shirek, a spokesperson for the Georgia Department of Public Health, said that any change to the Georgia law that requires children to be immunized for entry into school or daycare would need to be enacted through the Georgia General Assembly.
“Vaccines are the best way to protect against certain preventable diseases. Vaccines help the body create protective antibodies — proteins that help it fight off infections. By getting vaccinated, you can protect yourself and prevent the spread of preventable diseases to others in the community,” said Nydam Shirek in an email to Capital B Atlanta.
Gov. Brian Kemp’s office did not respond to requests for comment about Florida’s efforts to end vaccine mandates.
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For all Georgians, Guest said her No. 1 concern with a decision to end vaccine mandates would be an uptick in vaccine-preventable illnesses, particularly measles, a disease that is already making a comeback nationwide.
“We’re already seeing one of the largest outbreaks that we’ve had in almost two decades,” said Guest. “Measles is our most communicable and easy-to-spread virus.”
While Georgia is not the worst-performing state when it comes to childhood vaccination rates, it still lags behind national targets. According to Guest, about 86% of Georgia’s children are vaccinated for MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) — well below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity.
Guest said low vaccination rates could be a result of more Georgia parents requesting exemptions for their children.
“We are one of the states that had about 5% of children whose parents requested a waiver,” said Guest, regarding last school year. “That number has gone up significantly in recent years.”
Guest said both nationally and in Georgia, positive sentiment about childhood vaccines is at an all-time low, a trend that has been especially pronounced in the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We’re seeing a growing number of parents who don’t want to vaccinate their children — either partially or fully,” said Guest. “That’s largely due to inconsistent messaging around vaccines. We’re not talking about them now the way we were even a year ago.”
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