Nonmedical school vaccination exemptions increasing

September 20, 2012 in Health

Nonmedical school vaccination exemptions increasing

Nonmedical exemptions for school vaccination requirements have increased since 2005, particularly in states with easy exemption policies, according to a letter to the editor published in the Sept. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

(HealthDay)—Nonmedical exemptions for school vaccination requirements have increased since 2005, particularly in states with easy exemption policies, according to a letter to the editor published in the Sept. 20 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Saad B. Omer, M.B., B.S., Ph.D., from Emory University in Atlanta, and colleagues analyzed data from the U.S. for school years 2005 to 2006 through 2010 to 2011 to determine the annual rate of nonmedical exemptions from immunization requirements, comparing the rates in that allowed philosophical exemptions and states that allowed only religious exemptions.

The researchers found that the unadjusted rate was 2.54 times higher in states that allowed philosophical exemptions compared with those allowing only religious exemptions. However, the average annual rate increase was 1.20 in states that allowed only religious exemptions, compared with only 1.10 in states allowing only philosophical exemptions. Unadjusted rates of nonmedical exemptions were 2.31 times higher in states with easy exemption policies compared with those with difficult exemption policies. The average annual rate increase was 13 percent in states with easy policies, reaching 3.3 percent in 2011, compared with an 8 percent increase in states with difficult policies, reaching 1.3 percent in 2011.

"In an earlier analysis of data from 1991 through 2004, we found an increase in exemption rates only in states with philosophical exemptions and in states with easy exemption procedures," Omer and colleagues write. "Our results show that nonmedical exemptions have continued to increase, and the rate of increase has accelerated."

The study was partially funded by an unrestricted educational grant from .

More information: Full Text

Journal reference: New England Journal of Medicine search and more info website

Copyright © 2012 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

send feedback to editors
not rated yet  

Filter


Move the slider to adjust rank threshold, so that you can hide some of the comments.


Display comments: newest first

88HUX88
Sep 20, 2012

Rank: not rated yet
Mayim Bialik doesn't have her kids vaccinated and she has a PhD so that's the philosophical part of her exemption covered.
http://www.jennym...ome.html
the totalizer here is up to 1016 preventable deaths
Rank not rated yet
Tags

new england journal of medicine, centers for disease control and prevention, merck, states, school, vaccine
Related Stories
more news
Relevant PhysicsForums posts

More news stories

ER docs are key to reducing health care costs

Emergency physicians are key decisionmakers for nearly half of all hospital admissions, highlighting a critical role they can play in reducing health care costs, according to a new report from the RAND Corporation.

Health created 50 minutes ago | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

New research identifies risks, interventions for children's GI health

An increasing number of U.S. children are experiencing gastrointestinal issues that require interventions to resolve, according to research presented at Digestive Disease Week (DDW).

Health created May 18, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Youth who have their first drink during puberty have higher levels of later drinking

Research shows that the earlier the age at which youth take their first alcoholic drink, the greater the risk of developing alcohol problems. Thus, age at first drink (AFD) is generally considered a powerful predictor of ...

Health created May 17, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

British MPs concerned about parliamentary boozing

One quarter of British lawmakers believe there is an "unhealthy" drinking culture in the Houses of Parliament, according to a survey published on Friday.

Health created May 17, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0

Patient openness to research can depend on race and sex of study personnel

Researchers at the University of Cincinnati (UC) have found that the race and sex of study personnel can influence a patient's decision on whether or not to participate in clinical research.

Health created May 17, 2013 | popularity not rated yet | comments 0


Treatment of sleep apnea improves glucose levels in prediabetes

Optimal treatment of sleep apnea in patients with prediabetes improves blood sugar (glucose) levels and thus can reduce cardiometabolic risk, according to a study to be presented at the ATS 2013 International Conference in ...

Genetic diversity within tumors predicts outcome in head and neck cancer

A new measure of the heterogeneity – the variety of genetic mutations – of cells within a tumor appears to predict treatment outcomes of patients with the most common type of head and neck cancer. In the May 20 issue ...

Whole-cell vaccine was more effective than acellular vaccine during CA pertussis outbreak

Whole-cell pertussis vaccines were more effective at protecting against pertussis than acellular pertussis vaccines during a large recent outbreak, according to a new Kaiser Permanente study published in Pediatrics.

Blame your parents for bunion woes

A novel study reports that white men and women of European descent inherit common foot disorders, such as bunions (hallux valgus) and lesser toe deformities, including hammer or claw toe. Findings from the Framingham Foot ...

Molecular marker from pancreatic 'juices' helps identify pancreatic cancer

Researchers at Mayo Clinic have developed a promising method to distinguish between pancreatic cancer and chronic pancreatitis—two disorders that are difficult to tell apart. A molecular marker obtained from pancreatic ...

Commonly used catheters double risk of blood clots in ICU and cancer patients

Touted for safety, ease and patient convenience, peripherally inserted central catheters have become many clinicians' go-to for IV delivery of antibiotics, nutrition, chemotherapy, and other medications.