US - More Kids Skip School Shots in 8 States

[Pathfinder]

Children's Health - HEALTH​

More Kids Skip School Shots in 8 States​

Published November 28, 2011​

| Associated Press​

More parents are opting out of school shots for their kids. In eight states now, more than 1 in 20 public school kindergartners aren't getting all the vaccines required for attendance, an Associated Press analysis found.​

That growing trend among parents seeking vaccines exemptions has health officials worried about outbreaks of diseases that once were all but stamped out.
...

​

For its review, the AP asked state health departments for exemption rates for 2006-07 and 2010-11. The AP also looked at data states had previously reported to the federal government. (Most states don't have data for the current 2011-12 school year.)
​

Alaska had the highest exemption rate in 2010-11, at nearly 9 percent. Colorado's rate was 7 percent, Minnesota 6.5 percent, Vermont and Washington 6 percent, and Oregon, Michigan and Illinois were close behind.

Mississippi was lowest, at essentially 0 percent.​

The AP found that vaccine exemptions rose in more than half of states, and 10 had increases over the five years of about 1.5 percentage points or more, a range health officials say is troubling.​

Those states, too, were in the West and Midwest - Alaska, Kansas, Hawaii, Illinois, Michigan, Montana, Oregon, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin. Arizona saw an increase that put that state in the same ballpark.​

Exemption seekers are often middle-class, college-educated white people, but there are often a mix of views and philosophies.​

Full text:

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2011/11/28/more-kids-skip-school-shots-in-8-states/#ixzz1f0giujRi​

 

[Amish Country]

Re: US - More Kids Skip School Shots in 8 States

Just because parents chose to sign a religious wavier on their children's vaccinations does not mean that their kids have not had their shots or that their shots are not up to date. There are some problems in the system that need to be addressed and I'm not sure if anything can be done about it. Here I am speaking from personal experience not hear say.

1) Religious wavier: Last refuge of frustrated parents as well as those who are so religiously inclined. One school we dealt with lost or misplaced my child's vaccination record. The first set was sent in. Then two different times I hand carried them to the front desk. I was assured the school nurse would get them. It appears they disappeared into some sort of black hole. Who knows what happened to them or who had access to them? I guess HIPPA Does not apply to public schools? After the third loss I signed a Religious wavier so the school nurse would stop threatening me with various legal ramifications, etc. Once the wavier was signed the harassment stopped immediately. As for my kids? Their shots are current.

2) Cost of transferring medical records A local doctor charged me $40.00 to copy my medical records and then attempted to charge my husband $70.00 US to copy and forward his medical records. Given the economic and employment related problems many families are currently facing these "fees" could, in my humble opinion, endanger children and patients facing financial problems. Needless to say we are no longer associated with this person. However, if this practice spreads some parents may not be able to afford to "pay" for forwarding their children's shot/medical records. Our current pediatrician supplies updated vaccination and detailed records of their current physical free on parental request. I am not sure if this is statutory.

3) Destroyed/discarded records I tried to get copies from the Pediatricians office who had administered the shots only to be told the records had been discarded.