President Trump signed an executive order on Monday that infants should receive fewer immunizations over a longer period. The move comes despite little scientific evidence supporting such sweeping changes. It also comes at a time when a new report shows that most Arizona classrooms do not have high enough vaccination rates to prevent a measles outbreak.
A majority of classrooms across the state have immunization rates below the level recommended to prevent an outbreak. Arizona has had 342 measles cases since last year — the highest tally the state has seen in more than three decades. The majority of those cases have been among unvaccinated kids under 18, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
The MMR vaccine provides strong, lifelong protection against measles. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, two doses of the vaccine are 97% effective at blocking the virus. But measles is so contagious that about 95% of the population needs to be vaccinated to stop its spread. Only a quarter of Arizona’s kindergarten classrooms hit that target last year, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services.
Will Humble joined “Arizona Horizon” to explain the implications Arizona will face as a result of this order.
