WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - Health officials in Ohio are strongly urging parents to prioritize vaccinating their children due to a concerning rise in preventable diseases, coupled with a declining rate of childhood vaccinations. Bruce Vanderhoff, the director of the Ohio Department of Health, stressed the importance of ensuring that children receive all recommended vaccines. He highlighted the persistent risks posed by COVID-19, influenza, as well as the resurgence of serious cases of measles, whooping cough, and mumps.
During a recent press conference, Vanderhoff, alongside Paul Offit, a vaccinology professor at the University of Pennsylvania, underscored the critical role of vaccines in effectively reducing the threat of diseases such as polio and measles. Dr. Offit expressed concern over the diminishing fear of once-feared diseases like measles, emphasizing the need for the public to recognize the serious consequences of underestimating these illnesses. He cautioned that choosing not to vaccinate children doesn't eliminate risk; rather, it simply shifts the risk.
Vanderhoff also noted the legal requirements in Ohio, whereby students are mandated to have the necessary vaccinations or an approved exemption (medical, religious, or personal) to attend school. Vanderhoff expressed alarm over the emergence of vaccine-preventable diseases in Ohio, revealing that the state had reported seven cases of measles this year. In 2022, Ohio recorded 90 measles cases, with 85 arising from a central Ohio outbreak.
The state health department's data revealed a record number of kindergarteners exempted from vaccinations for nonmedical reasons, with 4% in the 2023-2024 school year, compared to 2.6% in 2019-2020. This significant increase raises concerns about the current trend of declining vaccination rates among children.
On a global scale, the World Health Organization and UNICEF reported that approximately 21 million children missed one or more vaccines in 2023, signifying an increase of around 2.7 million compared to 2019. This data underscores the importance of addressing vaccination disparities and advocating for improved vaccination coverage worldwide.
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