Gov. Ron DeSantis announced the establishment of a new Florida MAHA [Make America Healthy Again] commission during a news conference in Valrico on Wednesday. In another major development, Florida Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo announced an end to vaccine mandates in the state.
The commission, according to DeSantis, will recommend state-level integration of MAHA principles, an acronym first associated with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy's healthy platform.
The governor detailed that the principles include individual medical freedom, informed consent, parental rights, and market innovation.
First Lady Casey DeSantis will chair Florida MAHA along with Lt. Gov. Jay Collins, DeSantis said. Ladapo, Healthcare Administration Secretary Shevaun Harris, Department of Children and Families Secretary Taylor Hatch, Elder Affairs Secretary Michelle Branham, and Department of Environmental Protection Secretary Alexis Lambert also will join the commission.
In addition, DeSantis said experts in nutrition, health, vaccine safety, and family practice will partake in the group. As for the goal of the commission, DeSantis specified that Florida MAHA will oversee promoting clean, safe, and nutritious food and its industry, improving transparency and accountability in healthcare, studying the causes of chronic diseases related to health, and restoring trust in the medical field.
Speaking after the governor to eliminate all vaccine mandates in the state, Ladapo said, “Every last one is wrong and drips with disdain and slavery! Who am I as a government or anyone else, who am I as a man standing here now, to tell you what you should put in your body?
"Who am I to tell you what your CHILD should put in their body? I don’t have that right. Your body is a gift from God," Ladapo continued. "What you put into your body is because of your relationship with your body and God."
Medical trust was particularly marred during the COVID-19 pandemic, including among many Republicans.
"The Florida MAHA commission will prioritize reforms that empower Floridians, reduce regulatory burdens, and hold actors accountable for their conduct while fostering incentives for healthy living and innovation," DeSantis said.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about one in 5 U.S. children and adolescents is obese. Rates are also higher among Hispanic and Black Americans.
"This is something that has great potential. We have already done a lot," DeSantis continued. "I don't think there's any state that has done even close to what we have done in the State of Florida over these many years, but there's always more to do. We always want to stay ahead of the curb."
