Health officials, families, and communities in Texas and New Mexico are grappling with measles outbreaks that have affected more than 300 people and tragically killed one unvaccinated child in Texas and one unvaccinated adult in New Mexico, according to news reports.
In the U.S., all states require students to have a certain set of childhood vaccines before entering school. These vaccines include innoculations for: MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), DTap (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), Hib (H. influenza) and polio, chickenpox, flu, hepatitis A and B, rotavirus, and pneumococcal.
Certain states allow for medical, non-medical or personal exceptions to the vaccines. In Texas, students at public schools can be exempted from the standard vaccine schedule for a number of reasons in addition to a medical determination from a doctor.
A look at the vaccination rates in Gaines County, Texas where much of the outbreak has been located, paints a concerning picture. Gaines County has a 13.6% non-medical vaccine exemption rate for children grades K-12, compared to the statewide average of 2.5%.
Here in Connecticut, the legislature sunsetted the non-medical exemption option for students attending public schools in 2021. According to the Connecticut Department of Public Health, vaccination rates are increasing. The percentage of Connecticut kindergarten students receiving required measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine in the 2023–2024 school year is 97.7%. This is an increase of 0.4% from the previous year.
Connecticut Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff, D-Norwalk, said the outbreak in Texas was heartbreaking and entirely preventable.
“Here in Connecticut, students can go to school without fear of carrying a preventable disease and compromising their little siblings or their grandparents,” Duff said. “The science behind vaccines is settled – they are safe, effective and they save lives. Here in Connecticut we will continue to be on the side of science and human health, and we welcome any families who want to keep their loved ones safe.”
U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has a storied reputation as a vaccine skeptic. In a recent editorial for Fox News he said, “the decision to vaccinate is a personal one.” He also promoted treatments like Vitamin A, steroids and cod liver oil. He also said good nutrition is “a best defense against most chronic and infectious illnesses.”
