The bishops acknowledged that some parents may disagree with the policy, but said those families “are free to choose alternative educational paths for their children, including Catholic virtual school and homeschooling.”
The Catholic bishops said their vaccine policy is “rooted in a desire to protect the common good and promote benefits proportionate to the use of vaccines.” They cited the Catechism, which states: “Life and physical health are precious gifts entrusted to us by God. We must care for them rationally, taking into account the needs of others and the common good.”
The bishops emphasized that vaccines protect more than healthy students. They also help safeguard vulnerable members of the school community, including children who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons, pregnant teachers, and older parents and grandparents.
Florida’s changing school vaccine requirements
The bishops’ position comes as Florida’s Republican leadership continues to challenge routine vaccines and school vaccination mandates. Last year, Florida Public Health Secretary Joseph Ladapo announced plans to eliminate the state’s vaccination requirements, including requirements for schoolchildren. He claimed that vaccine mandates “ooze contempt and servitude.”
On Monday, the state proposed a rule that would eliminate requirements for children to receive vaccines against varicella, hepatitis B, Haemophilus influenzae type B, and pneumococcal disease before entering school. The proposal would also expand access to religious exemptions.
The bishops’ letter addresses a recurring argument made by vaccine opponents: that reducing vaccine requirements protects religious freedom. In practice, they argue, weakening immunization rules while invoking religious liberty could undermine the broader common good. On Monday, anti-vaccine US Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. proposed revising federal vaccine recommendations in favor of “individual autonomy and religious freedom.” However, major world religions generally do not prohibit vaccination. Many, including the Catholic Church, encourage immunization as a way to protect public health and vulnerable communities.
The bishops said they would regularly review their vaccine policy. However, they firmly rejected religious exemptions, stating that they “will not bow to insults to religious freedom.”
Source: arstechnica.com