Science
Related: About this forumUS vaccinations fall again as more parents refuse lifesaving shots for kids
US becomes more vulnerable to outbreaks as vaccination rates fall into 92 percent range.
Measles, whopping cough, polio, tetanusdevastating 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 20232024 school year, down from about 93 percent the previous school year and 95 percent in 20192020. 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 exemptionsin 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
(52,986 posts)Bleacher Creature
(11,434 posts)we can do it
(12,774 posts)atreides1
(16,386 posts)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
(96,521 posts)anti-Science cult.
Oopsie Daisy
(4,500 posts)The importance of vaccines extends beyond personal protectionit'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
(4,325 posts)These people don't deserve to have children. At least, not until they graduate from some parenting classes!
Oopsie Daisy
(4,500 posts)rockbluff botanist
(360 posts)If their child dies, could the parents be convicted of child abuse or worse (hopefully)?
RainCaster
(11,543 posts)Here in Washington State it's only the red counties that have this problem. Could this be an ignorance brought on by Faux News?