New data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveals the number of kindergarteners getting vaccinated has dropped, and the number of exemptions is at an all-time high.

Royal Caribbean has updated its COVID-19 protocols to allow more people to sail on their ships, according to the RoyalCaribbeanblog.

Experts said the COVID-19 vaccine for children under the age of 5 might not be available in Florida until next week.

A Florida battalion chief has been fired for refusing to discipline workers who hadn’t gotten a COVID-19 vaccine in violation of a requirement for county employees.

A U.S. health panel said late Friday it’s time to resume use of Johnson & Johnson’s COVID-19 vaccine despite a very rare risk of blood clots.

First- and second-graders line up for Salk Polio vaccine shots on April 23, 1955. Regardless of where anyone stands on the matter, we know that vaccinations have been protecting us from diseases for decades. In 1921, the United States recorded 206,000 cases, which resulted in 15,520 deaths, according to the History of Vaccines website. According to the CDC, polio was once one of the most feared diseases in the U.S. Since 1979, there have been no polio cases that originated in the U.S.

This comes after the FDA granted emergency use authorization for Pfizer and Bio-N-Tech’s vaccine on Friday. This is just part of an overall plan to distribute 40 million vaccine doses by the end of the year. The focus will then be on how soon the U.S. can get to what is called herd immunity among the population. “So we need to have immunized about 75% or 80% of the U.S. population before herd immunity can really be established. Even after the first few million doses of the vaccine are administered, you can still expect pushes for social distancing and mask wearing until herd immunity is achieved.

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. As kids head back to school theres a real concern about their health beyond the coronavirus and its something parents can control. Duval County was above the national average when it came to vaccinations but now the numbers are so low that health officials are concerned it could lead to another health crisis. This is not a political issue, Dr. Pauline Rolle, director of the Duval County health department, said. Its not just a Duval issue, this is a worldwide issue and so everyone is put at risk by children not being vaccinated appropriately, Rolle said. There are several options through the county health department to get free vaccines.

Stay-at-home orders and virtual learning meant to reduce the spread of COVID-19 have also lowered the number of families using immunizations services, local health officials said. Just because your student isnt attending in-person school doesnt mean you should skip routine vaccinations, Duval County health officials said. We understand there has been a lot of confusion out there due to the pandemic, said Dr. Pauline Rolle, Interim Health Officer and Medical Director of the Department of Health in Duval County. According to county health officials, the best defense against preventable diseases is vaccination. Vaccines help develop the bodys ability to fight germs, which cause certain infectious diseases.

At Memorial Hospital’s pediatric emergency room on Thursday, nurses screened visitors and patients at the entrance. If you need help with WJXT’s or WCWJ's FCC public inspection file, call (904) 393-9801.