DeSantis needs to strike a balance in Florida campus vaccination policies | Opinion

This post first appeared on the Tallahassee Democrat. On April 1, the president of Nova Southeastern University announced that all students would need proof of vaccination before returning to campus in the fall. Within 24 hours, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis issued an executive order banning government entities from issuing so-called “vaccine passports” and prohibiting Florida businesses from…

Social Science Scholar: Florida Department of Health

This summer, I completed an internship with the Florida Department of Health (FDOH) in Tallahassee, Florida, and Sarasota, Florida. The FDOH oversees all matters of public health and is comprised of a state health office in Tallahassee, and 67 local county departments. My internship comprised of serving at the state health office, as well as…

Flu and Vaccination: Difference by Age and Race

Research has shown that there are also significant differences between racial groups when it comes to receiving vaccinations. Among adults, white adults are immunized at higher rates (45%) than black (37%) or Hispanic (34%) adults. This has significant consequences for those populations, as black and Hispanics have higher rates of influenza-related death than white populations. Since unvaccinated children and adolescents may interact more often with older unvaccinated members of these populations, the chances of spreading influenza or other diseases may dramatically increase. Vaccinating the children and adolescents of these groups may provide a buffer of protection for these adults.