AI Insight
Childhood vaccination rates in kindergarteners are declining across U.S. states, occurring simultaneously with an increase in cases of preventable diseases like measles. Experts attribute this decline to two primary factors: modifications in public health policies and growing antivaccine sentiment among parents and communities.
Why it matters
Declining vaccination rates threaten herd immunity, potentially leading to outbreaks of previously controlled infectious diseases that can cause serious complications and death, particularly among vulnerable populations including infants, immunocompromised individuals, and those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.
Understand the Science
Even as cases of diseases such as measles rise, childhood vaccinations are declining, thanks to changes in public health policies and antivaccine sentiment, experts say
Source: See states’ kindergarten vaccination rates—from highest to lowest