Florida Disease Database Removal Raises Public Health Concerns

Public health experts are raising alarms after Florida’s Department of Health removed access to critical disease surveillance data that had previously been available to medical professionals and the public. The state’s comprehensive database, which tracked county-level information on communicable diseases including measles, tuberculosis, and other vaccine-preventable illnesses, is no longer accessible on the state’s health department website.

The disappearance of this vital public health tool comes amid rising concerns about disease outbreaks across the state, including confirmed cases of measles and tuberculosis in recent months. Medical professionals warn that without transparent, real-time data, the state’s ability to respond effectively to public health threats may be compromised.

Critical Data Suddenly Unavailable

Until recently, Florida health officials maintained a surveillance dashboard that provided county-by-county breakdowns of communicable disease cases, allowing medical professionals to track outbreaks and monitor public health trends. According to Tampa Bay Times, this resource has been removed without explanation.

“State and local health officials did not respond to numerous requests for an explanation or point to another location on the state’s health department website where the information is available to the general public,” the newspaper reported. The last time the chart was accessible was in March 2025, following a measles case at Miami Palmetto Senior High School.

The data removal affects information on dozens of reportable diseases, from common infections to rare but serious conditions. The comprehensive dashboard had long been relied upon by epidemiologists, pediatricians, and public health officials for tracking disease spread and implementing targeted prevention efforts.

Public Health Response Hindered

Health professionals express concern that the data removal could hamper Florida’s ability to respond effectively to disease outbreaks. Dr. Lisa Takagishi, president of the Florida Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, highlighted the downstream effects of this information gap.

“What’s happening is there’s a downstream effect,” Takagishi told the Tampa Bay Times. “Families don’t have the data, physicians don’t have the data, and the health systems don’t have the data that they need to really keep our community safe.”

The database previously played a crucial role in monitoring and responding to outbreaks across the state. During past incidents of Hepatitis A and monkeypox, access to real-time, county-level data helped guide public vaccination efforts and containment strategies, ultimately curbing the spread of these diseases.

Recent Disease Concerns Highlight Data Importance

The timing of the database removal coincides with concerning disease developments in Florida. In the last month alone, a Fort Lauderdale high school and Miami’s federal detention center have each confirmed active cases of tuberculosis, a serious but treatable infectious disease. Without access to comprehensive data, tracking the full extent of such outbreaks becomes significantly more challenging.

According to federal data, Florida recorded 681 cases of tuberculosis in 2024, approximately 9% more than the previous year. However, current 2025 data is not available on either federal or state websites, making it impossible for public health officials to determine if these recent cases represent isolated incidents or a broader pattern of increased transmission.

The state also faces potential threats from measles, which has seen a resurgence nationwide. The U.S. is on track to surpass 1,000 measles cases across 30 jurisdictions this year, with three children dying from the disease. Florida reported a high school measles case in 2025 and experienced an outbreak of nine cases in Broward County in February 2024.

Declining Vaccination Rates Compound Concerns

The lack of public disease surveillance information comes at a time when Florida is experiencing declining vaccination rates. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, only 88.1% of Florida kindergartners completed their required vaccines during the 2023-24 school year, falling below the threshold needed for effective community protection against diseases like measles.

Without accessible real-time data on disease prevalence, public health officials worry that parents may not recognize the importance of vaccination, potentially leading to further decreases in immunization rates and increased vulnerability to preventable outbreaks.

While the Florida Department of Health does continue to offer a monthly report of total cases for four communicable diseases statewide, this represents only a fraction of the more than 50 reportable diseases previously tracked with county-level detail. For diseases like measles, leprosy, or monkeypox, county-level data is now only available through 2023.

Alternative Notification Systems Insufficient

With the database no longer accessible, Florida residents must now rely on schools to inform them of confirmed cases of measles or other vaccine-preventable diseases. Schools are required to send notification letters to parents of students and staff who may have been exposed, but this system has significant limitations.

Public health experts point out that diseases aren’t limited to school environments, making school-based notifications insufficient for community protection. Adults without school-age children and those who live in neighborhoods with potential exposures may remain completely unaware of local disease threats without the previously available county-level data.

As Florida’s 2025 tourism season continues with millions of visitors from across the globe, the ability to monitor and respond to potential disease outbreaks remains a critical public health function—one that many health professionals fear has been unnecessarily compromised by the database removal.