Vaccines for Children

“Which state does the best job of vaccinating kids? Mississippi”

By: Karen Kaplan

Source: La Times

http://touch.latimes.com/#section/621/article/p2p-81699594/ 

  

   Some communities are in danger of losing herd immunity. Having enough people vaccinated will protect the people that do not want to have these vaccine shots for medical reasons. Experts say that children need to have two doses of the MMR vaccine to maintain herd immunity to measles. Most states allow parents not to allow their children to vaccinate because of religious reasons, and dozens allow parents to skip them for “philosophical” reasons.

There are many diseases in the world like measles, diphtheria, and whooping cough. To not become infected with these diseases, children need to be vaccinated. The new federal data shows that Mississippi is keeping the vaccinations for children mandatory. They are the top nation who is keeping track of children that are being vaccinated. 99.7% of Mississippi’s children have enrolled in kindergarten last year and received MMR vaccine against measles, mumps and rubella, DTaP vaccine that prevents diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis, which is known as whooping cough. Varicella is a vaccine that protects against chicken pox. Mississippi had the best showing among forty-nine states that reported vaccination data to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. 0.1% of kindergartners who have started school signed a waver to not be vaccinated. Colorado had the lowest vaccination rates. Across the country the median rate of MMR vaccination for kindergartners in the 2013-2014-school year was 94.7%.

  This article is important to read because it warns parents how important it is to have their children vaccinated. It states different types of vaccines and how it can affect a child if they are not vaccinated. Children especially going to school or starting school need to have their shots.