Overview

• Immunization rates for kindergartners in most states remain below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity against measles and other diseases.
• Exemptions and lingering fear from a since-retracted MMR-autism study have driven vaccine hesitancy despite decades of data proving safety and effectiveness.
• Federal health leadership under Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has signaled ambivalence toward established vaccines, a stance experts say undermines public confidence.
• Personal stories illustrate the stakes: congenital rubella left Jacque Farnham with lifelong disabilities, a delayed measles shot led to Karen Tobin’s fatal encephalitis in 1970 and polio survivor Lora Duguay now suffers chronic post-polio syndrome.
• Health experts warn that without concerted efforts to counter misinformation and tighten school-entry requirements, outbreaks of measles, pertussis and other preventable illnesses will continue in vulnerable communities.