PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — As Pennsylvania deals with its worst measles outbreak in 20 years, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has released new data showing a drop-off in childhood vaccinations.
According to the CDC, vaccine exemptions hit an all-time high nationally last year with 4.2% of kindergartners remaining unprotected, up from 3.6% the year prior. It works out to more than 155,000 kids going unvaccinated.
“The vaccination rate for measles is going down and at the same time the exemptions are going up. It’s very worrying,” said Dr. Victor Alos Rullan, an Delaware County epidemiologist. He believes it could lead to a public health crisis because of how easily the measles virus spreads…