JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – New data from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reveals the number of kindergarteners getting vaccinated has dropped, and the number of exemptions is at an all-time high.
Getting vaccinated is one of the first steps a child takes before starting kindergarten. Vaccinations are required to protect them and others against diseases including chickenpox, measles, mumps, rubella, polio, etc. The new data from the CDC show just over 92% of kindergarteners in the United States got their required shots last year. That number stood at 95% before the COVID-19 pandemic.
Duval County mother, Jenifer Levy, vaccinated her son when he started school years ago. Though she feels vaccination should be a personal choice, she’s glad her son was vaccinated.
“We had a president who had polio,” Levy said. “It was something that helped to eradicate it, so we don’t even have to think about it today. So, that’s why I think it’s important for me, personally.”
Alongside the federal numbers, the Florida Department of Health Charts show the immunization levels for Kindergarteners last year stood at 90.6%. In Duval County, the number is 88.9%. The declines are a big concern for Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen. Dr. Goldhagen is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Florida and Chief of the Division of Community and Societal Pediatrics. Though this is consistent with a pattern he’s observed since the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s still a risk to children and others.
“We know that Measles is resurgent. We know that children are at risk for pertussis and H Flu and pneumococcal disease, so on and so forth,” Dr. Goldhagen said. “Children die from these preventable diseases. Any child who dies from a preventable disease that could have been prevented by vaccination is a tragedy.”
Dr. Goldhagen says to establish herd immunity to protect communities, vaccination rates in children need to be around 97-98%.
“We are at 90% and below, which, actually creates a risk for many children and adults,” Dr. Goldhagen said.
Though vaccinations are down, the exemptions to get out of them are up. Looking at Florida data, specifically, with the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccine, 11,031 Kindergarteners were listed as being exempt from one or more vaccines for the 2023-24 school year. That’s a difference of 705 from the year before.
A local mother named Chantel now homeschools her children and no longer vaccinate them. She gave her reason why.
“The health risks,” Chantel said. “It’s not worth it, in my opinion.”
Dr. Goldhagen stresses vaccines are safe and urges parents to talk with their pediatrician or family physicians to make informed decisions.
“There is little in science and little in medicine that has been as well researched as the issue of the impact of vaccines on causing diseases, causing autism, that is bogus,” Dr. Goldhagen said. “Science has demonstrated it, and so parental concern about the potential impact of vaccines on causing autism and other medical issues just has no basis to it.”
The data from the CDC breaks down vaccination exemptions state by state. Information from the Florida Department of Health can be found here.
