Measles vaccination rates among US children fall dangerously low, risking resurgence
US measles immunization rates among children fall below safe levels (Illustrative photo: Getty Images)
Despite official statistics, measles vaccination coverage among young children in the US may be significantly lower than previously thought, reports NBC News.
According to the CDC, over 92% of American children receive two doses of the MMR vaccine by the time they enter kindergarten. However, a recent study suggests that vaccination rates among children under 5 may be as low as 71%.
"We are witnessing an extremely concerning decline in measles vaccination in the group most vulnerable to the disease - young children," said Benjamin Rader, an epidemiologist at Boston Children’s Hospital.
His team surveyed around 20,000 parents between July 2023 and April 2024 and found that only 71.8% reported their child had received at least one dose of the MMR vaccine.
The issue is worsened by the fact that CDC estimates are mostly based on school entry forms, meaning children under 5 are largely excluded from the data.
"This creates a sampling bias - we’re only seeing the tip of the iceberg," explained Dr. Scott Roberts of Yale School of Medicine. He added that the rise in homeschooling makes it harder for children to catch up on missed vaccinations.
Pandemic-era distrust fuels the trend
Experts emphasize that the pandemic disrupted access to healthcare and fueled skepticism around vaccines - particularly the COVID vaccine - which has spilled over into childhood immunization rates.
"Unfortunately, routine vaccination is trending substantially lower, although there is hope that many children will catch up as they grow older," said Rader. His study also found that children whose parents were vaccinated against COVID were 20% more likely to be vaccinated against measles.
The situation is especially alarming in the western states. A measles outbreak in Texas has already spread to neighboring New Mexico - both regions marked by low vaccination rates and a growing number of parents opting out of immunizations. "This is a troubling trend that puts entire communities at risk," said Katherine Wells, director of public health for Lubbock, Texas.
Amid falling vaccination rates and rising measles outbreaks, public health experts are even more concerned now that prominent anti-vaccine figure Robert F. Kennedy Jr has been confirmed as the new US Secretary of Health and Human Services - his nomination was narrowly approved by the Senate in February.
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