Many Iowa schools start classes in less than two weeks and what used to be a fall rite of passage — getting kids updated on their shots — is happening less frequently, and is more often the subject of debate.
Natoshia Askelson, a professor in the University of Iowa College of Public Health, says the topic of vaccination has become embroiled in partisan politics and misinformation, while new legislation makes it easier for families to skirt requirements.
“In the state of Iowa, we have a religious exemption which is very interesting because there are actually no religions that don’t believe in the power of vaccines,” Askelson says. “This exemption, you can now get without having to have your signature notarized, so it’s really become an exemption of convenience.”…