Summary

Childhood vaccination rates in Mississippi, Tennessee, and West Virginia, traditionally high, are declining due to rising vaccine skepticism.

CDC data shows the percentage of kindergartners with vaccine exemptions reached a record 3.3% nationwide in 2023-24.

Experts link this trend to anti-vaccine movements and “health freedom” advocacy.

This trend could lead to a resurgence of preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough, as seen in states with low vaccine uptake like Florida and Georgia.

  • MirthfulAlembic@lemmy.world
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    6 months ago

    I find it interesting that seemingly every person who complains about “health freedom” only wants to use that freedom to do the opposite of what experts recommend. I’m sure it’s not just about being contrarian…

    • Aurenkin@sh.itjust.works
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      6 months ago

      Except that these lessons will come at the expense of people who had no choice. Children and the immunocompromised. The adults deciding not to vaccinate their kids are likely protected.

      • ZILtoid1991@lemmy.world
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        6 months ago

        And there’s a very good chance there will be no lessons learned, only blame shifted to the democrats or some other group, for secretly having a biolab. There are even those, who see vaccine preventable diseases as a “cleanser”, which will “get rid of those unworthy of life and resources from our species”. There are legit eugenicists, who now say “autism was caused by vaccines, by letting the human trash survive measles”.

    • FundMECFS@lemmy.blahaj.zone
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      6 months ago

      Dark and awful thing to say.

      The people who will die most are those in already weak health who are unable to vaccinate or children who had no choice.