Vaccination avoidance rises in Oregon

Like other states, Oregon allows two types of exemptions from common childhood vaccinations, including for those against diseases such as polio, whooping cough, and measles: Medical, for those whose health conditions make vaccines untenable; and non-medical, which OHA says may be for “personal, religious, or philosophical reasons.”

Families who wish to claim such exemptions can watch a state-approved educational video or obtain a letter from a healthcare provider.

National figures are not yet available, but Oregon’s rate of 8.8% for the 2023-24 school year was the fourth highest in the nation, trailing only Idaho, Alaska and Utah. Oregon’s opt-out percentage was more than twice the national average.

“The increase in non-medical exemptions weakens community immunity, creating opportunities for outbreaks of serious diseases that vaccines have nearly eradicated,” said Dr. Paul Cieslak, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at OHA, expressing alarm at the rising exemption rates.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says a measles outbreak this year has sickened 1,001 people in 31 states (none in Oregon), resulting in 126 hospitalizations and three deaths. Of the 1,001 people who caught the measles, the CDC says, 96% were unvaccinated.

Although the COVID pandemic increased vaccine skepticism, a sentiment amplified by the rise of Robert F. Kennedy to his current post as secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, public health officials continue to stress their long-term, widespread societal benefit.

“Vaccines have transformed public health by dramatically reducing the burden of infectious diseases, enabling children to grow up in safe environments,” said Dr. Dean Sidelinger, health officer and state epidemiologist at Oregon Public Health. “The growing trend of non-medical exemptions threatens to undo decades of progress and puts us all at risk. OHA is committed to providing accessible, science-based information to empower families to choose vaccination.”

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This story was produced by the Oregon Journalism Project (oregonjournalismproject.org), a nonprofit investigative newsroom for the state of Oregon.