Number of Maine families opting out of childhood vaccinations hits all-time high

https://www.pressherald.com/2019/04/05/vaccine-coverage-worsens-among-maine-schoolchildren-making-state-vulnerable-to-measles-pertussis-and-other-infectious-diseases/

Maine’s rate of parents opting their children out of school-required vaccines reached an all-time high this year, according to the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention, alarming public health experts and making the state vulnerable to the return of preventable infectious diseases such as measles, pertussis and chickenpox.

Maine lawmakers are currently considering banning non-medical exemptions for vaccines required to attend school. Currently, parents can opt their children out on philosophic or religious grounds. A public hearing on March 13 about the bill, sponsored by Rep. Ryan Tipping, D-Orono, and Sen. Linda Sanborn, D-Gorham, attracted hundreds. Meanwhile, Maine’s pertussis rate is worst in the nation – with 446 cases in 2018 and 136 through the first three months of 2019. Also, some state residents were recently exposed to measles when an infected person from Massachusetts visited Falmouth. Washington state and New York City are currently experiencing measles outbreaks.

Maine’s non-medical opt-out rate for students entering kindergarten climbed from 5 percent in 2017-18 school year to 5.6 percent in 2018-19, according to the Maine CDC. Medical exemptions doubled, from 0.3 to 0.6 percent.

“The kindergarten exemption rates are now at an all-time high of 6.2 percent,” according to the Maine CDC. Also, the kindergarten vaccination rate for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) declined from 94.3 percent in 2017-18 to 93.8 percent in the current school year.

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Not something to be proud of...nope