In early May, Gov. Ron DeSantis signed SB 2006 into law. Among other provisions, the bill prohibited businesses and schools in Florida from requiring proof of vaccination for COVID-19. However, results from a recent survey conducted at the University of South Florida suggest that a majority of Floridians may disagree with the move. While voters remain largely divided on the issue of “vaccine passports,” most agree that vaccine requirements are best left in the hands of private businesses.

The survey — which was conducted between June 3 and June 14 — asked a representative sample of 600 Floridians their thoughts on a variety of vaccine related questions. Among the survey respondents, a two-thirds majority (66.7%) agreed that Florida’s businesses should be allowed to require their employees to be vaccinated “if they choose to do so.”

When asked specifically about Florida’s theme parks, respondents were somewhat more divided. Just under a third (30.5%) said that Florida’s theme parks should not be allowed to require proof of vaccination from guests, while a nearly identical number (30.0%) felt that proof of vaccination should be required for park entry. A plurality of respondents (39.5%) said that the decision to require vaccinations should be left to individual parks.

Stephen Neely (srneely@usf.edu) is an associate professor in the School of Public Affairs at the University of South Florida. The USF study was conducted as an online survey using Prodege MR, a leading market research provider. The sample of 600 Floridians was fielded to be representative of the state’s demographic composition based on region, age, gender, race, and ethnicity. The results are reported with a confidence level of 95% and a margin of error +/- 4.

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