TELL US: Why are you opting not to vaccinate your child for school? FILE - Vials for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine are displayed at a clinic in Lubbock, Texas, on Feb. 26, 2025. (AP Photo/Mary Conlon, File) (Mary Conlon, Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)
Childhood vaccination rates against measles have fallen dramatically since the COVID-19 pandemic.
Measles has been spreading among communities because of international and domestic travel , and 2025 is inching closer to becoming the worst for measles in more than three decades.
Most of the measles cases in the U.S. this year — 1,088 nationally as of May 30 — are in unvaccinated people.
Measles was eliminated in the U.S. in 2000, and the vaccine is safe and highly effective .
Public schools nationwide require two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine before kindergarten, but the number of children with non-medical exemptions from those requirements hit an all-time high in the 2023-2024 school year.
Health experts say community-level vaccination needs to be at 95% or higher to prevent outbreaks.
So News4JAX wants to hear from those who choose not to vaccinate their children for school. Are you opting out of getting the MMR vaccine for your child? Share your thoughts in the form below and include your contact information, or reach out to tminor@wjxt.com if you’re willing to talk about your decision on camera.
Copyright 2025 WJXT and The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.
About the Authors Tarik Minor headshot Tarik anchors the 4, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. weekday newscasts and reports with the I-TEAM.
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