PHOENIX – As the first day of school approaches for many Arizona children, public health officials are expressing concern over the growing number of parents who are opting out of vaccinating their kids. Despite the proven effectiveness of vaccines at preventing the spread of preventable diseases, some parents are choosing to skip this important step in protecting their children’s health. This trend is especially troubling in light of recent outbreaks of measles and other illnesses across the country.
Thousands of Arizona parents are choosing to opt out, as per data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
According to Will Humble, Executive Director of the Arizona Public Health Association, Arizona ranks third in the nation for the highest number of exemptions granted from school vaccine requirements.
According to recent statistics, Arizona is currently trailing behind only Idaho and Oregon with a vaccination rate of just over 7% for the upcoming 2022-2023 academic year. The Arizona Public Health Association has pointed out three key factors that are contributing to this concerning trend. These include vaccine hesitancy, the anti-vaxxer movement, and limited access to the vaccine, particularly in Yavapai and Mohave Counties where vaccination rates are the lowest in the state.
Humble emphasized the presence of significant and concrete risks, not only from the potentially fatal disease of measles, but also from the fact that if the disease is present in a classroom, it poses a considerable risk of causing students to miss school for a month.
If there’s one thing that Dr. Bradley Golner from Phoenix Pediatrics is adamant about, it’s the importance of vaccines. In fact, he doesn’t even consider seeing children who haven’t been vaccinated due to the potential risks involved.
Dr. Golner expressed her concern about the potential risks that children with compromised immune systems face. She shared that if a child who has had a heart transplant is exposed to diseases such as chickenpox, measles, or whooping cough, it could be fatal. “I don’t want to be responsible for a child’s death due to something preventable like this,” she emphasized.
According to data, there has been an increase in vaccine hesitancy among parents following the pandemic. Interestingly, while public schools in Arizona generally have higher vaccination rates, it is observed that parents are choosing to exempt their children from the shot schedule in private, home, and charter schools.
Doctors acknowledge that parents may be concerned about the possibility of side effects from vaccines, even though such occurrences are considered highly unlikely. As a precautionary measure, they advise parents to consult with their child’s pediatrician regarding the option of spreading out the vaccine schedule, particularly around the 15-month mark.