Drops In Vaccinations Expose Arizona To Measles Epidemic

PHOENIX — A report out from Arizona's Department of Health Services shows exemptions from required measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, vaccines has grown to a dangerous level and puts the state at risk for an outbreak.

Kindergarten-aged kids in the state had an overall vaccination rate 0f 93% this year, below an immunity threshold of 95%.

Jessica Rigler, assistant director for public health preparedness for the health services agency, says measles is one of the most severe diseases they track. they track.

"We know that Arizona is at a risk for measles outbreak specifically," she told Cronkite news. Nine out of 15 of Arizona's counties fall below this threshold.

Some counties, particularly in the northern part of Arizona, are seeing rates as low as 83%. The vaccine exemption rate means only 4 out of 10 of kindergarten classrooms are protected.

"In the midst of nationwide outbreaks of measles, and increases in Arizona cases of vaccine-preventable diseases, Arizona’s vaccine coverage rates continue to decrease. This places more Arizona children, families, and communities at risk for vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks. For the third year in a row, non-medical exemption rates–the percentage of students exempt from one or more vaccines–increased across all age categories," ADHS director Cara Christ wrote in a recent blog post.

So far this year, the agency confirms 17 cases of mumps and one case of measles.