A record high number of U.S. children are being exempted from routine childhood vaccines, according to the CDC.
This alarming increase has been observed across the nation, with at least 4.3% more kids being opted out during the 2021-2022 school year in Colorado.
Experts believe that this rise is a direct result of the growing distrust in the healthcare system, and specifically, in vaccines. "There is a rising distrust in the health care system," explained Dr. Amna Husain, a pediatrician and spokesperson for the American Academy of Pediatrics. "Vaccine exemptions have unfortunately trended upward with it."
The new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report found that an average 3% of children entering kindergarten during the 2022-2023 school year were granted vaccine exemptions, which is the highest rate ever reported in the US. Additionally, forty states saw an increase in exemptions, with ten states seeing rates soar over 5%, including Alaska, Arizona, and Oregon.
Idaho was a significant outlier in the report, with over 12% of children entering kindergarten having a vaccine exemption. This is extremely concerning, as populations generally need 95% immunity to protect against viral outbreaks.
Experts also believe that the hesitation towards COVID vaccines may have contributed to this trend. "So many people were reluctant to get that new vaccine," said Dr. Mysheika Roberts, health commissioner for Columbus Public Health. "We feared that it would have a trickle-down effect and impact vaccination coverage for our children."
In addition to the staggering number of exemptions, the report also revealed that vaccination rates among young children have remained stagnant following a dip due to the pandemic. This means that vaccination coverage among kindergartners has remained at 93%, which is well below the 95% necessary for herd immunity.
Dr. Shannon Stokley, from the CDC's Immunization Services Division, expressed concern about this stagnant rate. "It means there are children who may be unprotected from very serious diseases," she said.
While each state has its own requirements for vaccinations, the CDC generally recommends vaccines to protect against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP), poliovirus, and chickenpox.
However, some states allow exemptions for medical, religious, or personal reasons, making it easy for parents to opt their children out of these important vaccinations.
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In Ohio, where it is very easy to obtain exemptions, there was a measles outbreak last year that infected 85 people, mostly children under the age of 16. This occurred during a time when hospitals were already overwhelmed with Covid, RSV, and flu cases, causing additional strain on the healthcare system.
As Dr. Julie Morita, executive vice president of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and former head of the Chicago Department of Public Health, warned, "We've forgotten how bad these diseases actually are." The increase in vaccine exemptions is a dangerous development, putting not only unvaccinated children at risk but the entire population as well.
It is crucial for parents to educate themselves about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines to protect their children.