Measles cases in the U.S. are at their highest levels in more than 10 years. ALmost 50% of these cases involve children whose parents declined vaccination for them. Parents' unfounded fears about the vaccines causing autism may be fueling this trend.
Some measles cases have involved home-schooled children, who are not required to get the vaccines.
Childhood measles vaccination rates have stayed above 92% (data from 2006). However, the recent outbreaks suggest that pockets of unvaccinated children are forming. Health officials worry that vaccination rates have begun to fall.
Posted by Scott W. Yates, MD, MBA, MS, FACP
