ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – Florida is in the national spotlight again.

An announcement from State Surgeon General, Dr. Joseph Ladapo stating the Florida Department of Health is going to be the first state to recommend against the COVID-19 vaccine for healthy children.

Alexander Ackerman has three children. Two are eligible for a COVID vaccine, but they’re not vaccinated – neither is he.

“I would never really feel comfortable with the vaccinations,” the Orange County father of three said. “I don’t trust the medical field. I don’t trust the medical people’s hands who are involved in it.”

Central Florida pediatrician Dr. Mohammad Afzal, however, still is recommending eligible children receive a coronavirus vaccine for several reasons.

“They will not get hospitalized, and the symptoms will not be worse,” Dr. Afzal explains why he supports vaccines. “They (children) will not be able to pass the infection to people in their home, at the school, or on to other people.”

According to Ackerman, his children are healthy and have not had Covid. But, it’s because of a lack of research and data the father of three says he’s not comfortable vaccinating his children.

“I’m just not willing to allow me, my children, or none of my family become you know guinea pigs,” Ackerman states.

Dr. Ladapo’s stance on not vaccinating healthy children is a tough one for pediatricians like Dr. Afzal to understand following Mondays announcement.

“If he is saying that on what scientific basis? Dr. Afzal asks. They have decided that and what exactly are they going to recommend that why we shouldn’t be vaccinating the healthy kids?” 

Ackerman is not alone when it comes to not vaccinating children. Florida Department of Health’s latest data released on March 4th shows only 22% of the state’s 5-11 year old population is vaccinated. For those 12-19, the number is 60%.

The state’s most recent COVID positivity rate is 3.3% with Orange County at 3.7%.