US vaccinations fall again as more parents refuse lifesaving shots for kids

[BootinUp]

US becomes more vulnerable to outbreaks as vaccination rates fall into 92 percent range.

Measles, whopping cough, polio, tetanus—devastating and sometimes deadly diseases await comebacks in the US as more and more parents are declining routine childhood vaccines that have proved safe and effective.

The vaccination rates among kindergartners have fallen once again, dipping into the range of 92 percent in the 2023–2024 school year, down from about 93 percent the previous school year and 95 percent in 2019–2020. That's according to an analysis of the latest vaccination data published today by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The analysis also found that vaccination exemptions rose to an all-time high of 3.3 percent, up from 3 percent in the previous school year. The rise in exemptions is nearly entirely driven by non-medical exemptions—in other words, religious or philosophical exemptions. Only 0.2 percent of all vaccination exemptions are medically justified.

The new stats mean that more parents are choosing to decline lifesaving vaccines and, for the fourth consecutive year, the US has remained below the 95 percent vaccination target that would keep vaccine-preventable diseases from spreading within communities. In fact, the country continues to slip further away from that target.

Continued
https://arstechnica.com/health/2024/10/us-vaccinations-fall-again-as-more-parents-refuse-lifesaving-shots-for-kids/

[sinkingfeeling]

1. Sorry, but I feel the un-vaccinated kids should be isolated from the general school population.

[Bleacher Creature]

4. Agree. It's called PUBLIC health for a reason.

[we can do it]

5. Don't be sorry.

[atreides1]

2. Oh well

If a child dies from an outbreak of measles, then my sympathy goes to the parents who had the common sense to get their child vaccinated...for those parents that refused...I have nothing but contempt!!!

[JohnSJ]

3. This is why this election is so close. There are too many ignorant people who have been duped by the

anti-Science cult.

[Oopsie Daisy]

6. The increase in parents refusing vaccinations for their children is a worrying trend.

The importance of vaccines extends beyond personal protection—it's about community immunity (hey, that rhymes!)

Vaccinated children not only shield themselves but also contribute to herd immunity, a vital defense for those who cannot be vaccinated due to medical reasons, or are vaccinated but (for one reason or another) the vaccine doesn't take or is ineffective.

When one family opts out, the shield weakens for all. Vaccines work best when the majority participates, creating a barrier that protects everyone, especially the most vulnerable among us. The decision to vaccinate or not isn't solely about the child in question; it affects the broader community.

These parents are irrationally paranoid. They read and believe claims that have been thoroughly debunked. And we have idiots like RFK-Jr who continue to use their D-list celebrity status to promote their anti-science bullshit.

I suppose I ought to feel sad for the children of these parents if/when they contract a disease and possibly put their lives at risk. But I mostly feel angry. I'll save my sympathies for those other children who are at risk because the unvaxxed kids are poking holes in the "herd immunity" wall... and allowing the disease to come inside.

[slightlv]

9. Worrying trend? I call it child abuse and child neglect, at best.

These people don't deserve to have children. At least, not until they graduate from some parenting classes!

[Oopsie Daisy]

10. That, too.

[rockbluff botanist]

7. Legal liability

If their child dies, could the parents be convicted of child abuse or worse (hopefully)?

[RainCaster]

8. Whooping Cough is way up in red counties

Here in Washington State it's only the red counties that have this problem. Could this be an ignorance brought on by Faux News?