NEW ORLEANS — A growing number of parents across the state are choosing not to vaccinate their children before Kindergarten.
In recent years, the number of children starting school with vaccination exemptions has doubled.
“As a parent, you want your kids to be in a place that is safe,” Tulane Health and Economics Professor Charles Stoecker said. “If the other kids in your class are vaccinated, that’s more likely to protect your kid.”
According to data from the CDC, exemptions are still low. Less than 5 percent of children in Louisiana will go to school this year without their vaccines.
Tulane Health Economics Professor Charles Stoecker says that doesn’t eliminate the risk, and the numbers require some context.
“The numerically small increase cloaks a much larger problem,” Stoecker said.
New Louisiana laws give parents the right to opt out of standard vaccinations, so the number of unvaccinated students can vary widely from school to school.
To reach herd immunity, or total protection from a virus, Stoecker says around 95 percent of children need to be vaccinated, but some schools across the state fall well below 75 percent.
When it comes to medicine, WWL Louisiana Medical Correspondent Dr. Corey Hebert says one of the best things parents can do to keep their little ones safe and healthy, is to discuss vaccines with their doctors.
You can find a full list of school vaccination rates by parish on the Louisiana Department of Health website.