LOS ANGELES, Mar 28, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Children in many California
elementary schools are at risk of diseases like measles because schoolmates have
not been vaccinated, health officials say.
The Los Angeles Times analyzed state data and reported that parents who opt out
of state-mandated vaccinations are concentrated in high-income areas. The
schools with high percentages of unvaccinated children, about one in 11, tend to
be public schools in those communities or private non-religious schools.
California allows parents to opt out by simply filling out a form. The number of
parents who do so has more than doubled since 1997 to more than 10,000 last
fall.
One reason for the increase is a suspicion that there is a link between linking
vaccinations and autism. Few doctors support that theory but it has frightened
many parents, the newspaper said.
Public health experts say when most children are vaccinated the "herd effect"
protects even unvaccinated children from infection. But when the percentage of
unvaccinated children rises to 5 percent or 10 percent, outbreaks are possible.
Most children who contract chickenpox, measles and rubella recover quickly. But
the diseases can cause dangerous complications, and rubella can damage the fetus
if a pregnant woman gets the disease.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International