Today, 18 states allow nonmedical vaccine exemptions. To assess the effect of these exemptions on vaccination rates, researchers compared the contraction rates of children who entered kindergarten with a nonmedical vaccination exemption form and children who received the MMR vaccine.
Twelve of the 18 states permitting nonmedical exemptions demonstrated an upward trend in children starting kindergarten with a vaccine exemption since 2009. The odds of an unvaccinated child contracting measles was 35 times higher than for a vaccinated child.
“Our concern is that the rising [nonmedical exemptions] linked to the anti-vaccine movement in the U.S. will stimulate other countries to follow a similar path,” the study’s authors wrote.
They believe tougher regulations must be implemented to end nonmedical exemptions for global safety.
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