Condemning the extreme anti-vaccine policies of Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., strongly opposing the policies of the State of Florida that roll back immunization requirements, and expressing the sense of the Senate that vaccines are critical to protecting public health, eliminating preventable illness and death, and reducing hospitalizations and severity of illness, work best when adopted at a high level within each community, and must be made available to the public.

This resolution is a statement from the Senate that supports vaccines and pushes back on policies that weaken vaccination. It condemns anti-vaccine policies linked to the Secretary of Health and Human Services and opposes Florida’s moves to roll back immunization requirements. It says vaccines protect public health, prevent illness and death, lower hospital stays, work best when many people in a community get them, and should be available to everyone .

It does not create new laws or programs. It expresses the Senate’s view and encourages strong vaccination efforts and access for the public .

• Who is affected: the public and community health efforts across the country
• What changes: a formal Senate position supporting vaccines and opposing rollbacks; no new legal requirements
• When: effective as a statement of the Senate’s position if adopted