Jen Fisher's son, Raleigh, suffers from a congenital heart condition, making him vulnerable to infections even with vaccinations. Fisher emphasizes the importance of universal vaccination to prevent outbreaks of diseases like measles, especially as states witness an uptick in vaccine opt-outs. Despite Tennessee's high vaccination rates, public health experts, like James Colgrove, express concern over declining trust in vaccinations and the complexities of vaccination policies in conservative states. The increase to 3.3% in kindergarten vaccination exemptions signifies a concerning trend in vaccine hesitancy, potentially threatening community health.
'We want everyone to be vaccinated so that illnesses like measles and things that have basically been eradicated don't come back,' Fisher said.
Colgrove stated that 'the kinds of policies that states have don't map neatly on to red' versus blue' or one region or another,' referring to vaccine uptake in states.
Advocates and public health officials worry that 'public health bright spots in some states are fading' as vaccine opt-outs increase.
The percentage of kindergartners exempted from one or more vaccinations rose to 3.3%, indicating growing vaccine hesitancy among parents.
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