America is on the edge of a dangerous 'vaccine tipping point' says FDA- amid ... trends now
The United States is teetering on the edge of a life-threatening precipice as the number of unvaccinated people has reached a dangerously high level, putting people at risk for preventable deaths, health officials warn.
A new commentary, written by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr Robert Califf and FDA vaccine regulator Dr Peter Marks, warned that vaccine rates are approaching the level at which there are not enough healthy vaccinated people to protect those who can't get their shots because they are vulnerable.
The commentary comes as four states are dealing with a measles outbreak and school vaccination rates plummet, with a record high number of families applying for vaccine exemptions.
The commentary said: 'The situation has now deteriorated to the point that population immunity against some vaccine-preventable infectious diseases is at risk, and thousands of excess deaths are likely to occur this season due to illnesses amenable to prevention or reduction in severity of illness with vaccines.'
The above map shows states with measles cases (red) or warnings over measles exposures (yellow) with no cases yet detected. The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (top right) is where the first case in the outbreak was detected
The above map shows the state by state rates of vaccination exemptions for the 2022-2023 school year, highlighting the top five states with the highest percentages of exemptions
For the 2022-2023 school year three percent of kindergartners had a vaccine exemption from one or more required vaccines. This is an increase from 2.6 percent during the 2021-2022 school year and the highest the US has ever recorded
The team said vaccination was 'one of the most highly effective public health interventions,' adding vaccines have saved millions of lives, undergo rigorous testing to ensure safety and efficacy and are continuously monitored via safety surveillance systems.
Effective vaccine campaigns have eradicated deadly diseases in the US like smallpox and polio.
Measles was similarly eliminated but cases of the disease among unvaccinated people who contract it overseas and return to the US have been on the rise.
This month, four states have reported measles outbreaks. Officials in Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey and Delaware reported nine infections, eight among people who have never received the measles vaccine.
An additional 30 people are being monitored for the disease. Measles is one of the most contagious viral illnesses - several more times contagious than Covid.
The FDA officials wrote: 'Regrettably, pediatric vaccine hesitancy now has been responsible for several measles outbreaks in the US.'
Experts attribute the decline in vaccinations to widespread misinformation, complacency, vaccine mandates and vaccine fatigue.
Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows a quarter million kindergartners are entering school without their recommended childhood vaccines - and the number of kids with vaccine exemptions has hit a high.
Additionally, for the 2022-2023 school year three percent of kindergartners had a vaccine exemption from one or more required vaccines - an increase from 2.6 percent during the 2021-2022 school year and the highest the US has ever recorded.
As the antivax movement has grown, so have the number of parents requesting vaccine exemptions for their children.
Each state has different guidelines for vaccine requirements and exemptions. While some require all vaccines for kindergarten admission, others may only require a handful at the time, postponing others to future grades.
When getting vaccine exemptions, there are two types: medical and non-medical and exemptions can be from one, multiple or all required childhood vaccines
Medical exemptions are allowed when a child has a medical condition that prevents them from receiving a vaccine. Non-medical exemptions include those based on religious or philosophical beliefs.
While rules differ state by state, in most cases, parents must receive documentation from a medical doctor stating a child
