All articles tagged with #nonmedical exemptions
The article discusses the rise in vaccine exemptions among school children in the US, fueled by misinformation, policy changes, and mixed messages from health authorities, leading to lower vaccination rates and increased risk of disease outbreaks, especially in states like Texas and Pennsylvania.
Oregon's School Exclusion Day is approaching, requiring students to be up to date on vaccinations or have exemptions to attend school. Southern Oregon has some of the lowest vaccination rates in the state due to the allowance of nonmedical exemptions. Local public health departments are sending notices to parents, urging them to take action before the February 21 deadline. While exclusion day is seen as a last defense, it aims to keep schools safe from vaccine-preventable diseases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reports that a record number of American kindergarten students started school last year with exemptions from required vaccines, with vaccination coverage remaining lower than pre-pandemic levels. The report found that vaccination exemptions increased to 3% of kindergarten students, the highest rate ever reported in the country, and the majority of these exemptions were not for medical reasons. While the report did not determine the exact reasons for the increase in nonmedical exemptions, it comes at a time when vaccine hesitancy remains high, potentially influenced by anti-vaccine activists during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC emphasizes the importance of ensuring children are fully vaccinated to prevent outbreaks of infectious diseases.