As vaccination rates decline, widespread outbreaks of diseases like measles and polio could reemerge
Health officials in western Texas are trying to contain a measles outbreak among mostly school-aged children, with at least 15 confirmed cases. It’s the latest outbreak of a disease that had been virtually eliminated in the U.S., and it comes as vaccination rates are declining — jeopardizing the country’s herd immunity from widespread outbreaks.
Tiffany Vargas, a mom who lives in the Tampa area, says her 8-year-old daughter has not received childhood vaccines. That includes vaccines for measles, chickenpox and polio.
“I started doing research, and I saw that a lot of doctors were just having a really hard time answering the questions that I had,” Vargas told CBS News.
Despite long-established safety studies, decades of research and publicly available information about the rare side effects, she questions whether there is enough transparency from the medical community.
“We’re not anti-vaccine. We just want our questions answered,” Vargas said.
In Florida, parents can opt out of vaccinating their children using a religious exemption, which is one reason Vargas moved her family out of New York.
“We were threatened to have CPS called on us, so I saw that was going to be an issue, that I wouldn’t be able to exercise my right as a parent to choose what would be best for my child,” Vargas said.
The vaccination rate for Florida kindergartners has fallen to 88.1%, according to the CDC, the lowest in decades. Nationwide, at least 10 states have also seen some vaccination rates fall.
Dr. Jeffrey Goldhagen, a pediatrician and professor at the University of Florida, said, “90% is nowhere near good enough. That coverage rate will allow for the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.”
He said if vaccination rates continue to dip, the U.S. could see “increased numbers of children infected. It means epidemics of measles. We are at great risk for re-emergence of polio in this country.”
Like Texas, some Florida schools — such as an elementary school in Broward County last year — have already seen measles outbreaks.
While the vast majority of medical organizations say childhood vaccines are safe and effective, it’s not enough for parents like Vargas, who told CBS News she is more concerned about possible side effects from the vaccines than her child getting measles or polio.
