One of the greatest threats to public health is not another virus—it’s doubt. Vaccine hesitancy is quickly becoming a threat to global health. Pre-pandemic levels, for childhood vaccinations for Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR), Polio, DTaP (diphtheria and whooping cough), were 95% which is high enough to generate Herd Immunity (a.k.a. community immunity). This is when a significant percentage of a population is immune to a disease, making it very difficult to spread. This is the only surefire way to eradicate diseases (e.g Smallpox, which was globally eradicated in 1980).
Herd immunity is especially important when it comes to young children. Because it takes roughly 7-8 years for a child’s immune system to fully develop, young children are vulnerable to contracting illnesses and succumbing to them as they do not yet have strong enough immunological defenses to fight them. Vaccines also aid in strengthening young immune systems by teaching them how to recognize and defend against germs and antigens. More importantly, children that are immunocompromised, have chronic illnesses, or have allergies to specific components of vaccines are relying on Herd Immunity from their classmates to live healthy lives since they may not be able to get vaccinated.
In the previous school year (2024-2025), vaccine rates for DtaP, MMR and Polio dropped to 92.1%, and 92.5% respectively.1 Though these figures do not seem like a huge decrease from the previous ~95%, this trend is notable because herd immunity may be a thing of the past as we continue to move forward. By way of example, approximately 286,000 kindergartners were present at school without having documentation showing they were vaccinated against MMR.
In the 2023-2024 school year, the rate of exemptions from vaccines was 3.3%;2 however, last year, we saw a national increase in the percentage of exemptions to 3.6%, and 17 states reported exemptions over 5%!
What does this actually mean? According to the CDC, as of September 23, 2025, there have been 1,514 confirmed measles cases, and 40 total outbreaks thus far. The largest demographic accounting for those cases at 39% were (you guessed it), those aged 5-19 years old.
Is measles really that bad? Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease that presents as cough, fever, runny nose and a characteristic rash. In the wake of COVID, flu, and several bugs, it may be difficult for someone to deduce measles as the culprit, especially without the triage of a healthcare provider. It can also lead to several complications such as pneumonia, other infections, permanent brain damage which in turn can lead to fatal brain disease, long-term and permanent damages, or death.3 Before a measles vaccine was introduced in 1963, the majority of children were exposed and infected, and unfortunately around 400 of the annual, measles-related deaths were children.4
In short, if we do not address vaccine hesitancy, we are putting some of our most vulnerable populations at risk, and taking a dangerous step backwards as a society.
Healthcare providers: this is your opportunity to combat the ever-growing misinformation that has been infiltrating our media outlets. This is a call to action to provide evidence-based recommendations, and advocate for public health by educating your patients.
Parents and caregivers: I urge you to consider the source of your health care information, and gather insights from reputable sources before making impactful decisions.
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, July 31). Vaccination Coverage and Exemptions among Kindergartners — SchoolVaxView. https://www.cdc.gov/schoolvaxview/data/index.html ↩︎
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2025, July 31). Vaccination Coverage and Exemptions among Kindergartners — SchoolVaxView. https://www.cdc.gov/schoolvaxview/data/index.html ↩︎
- World Health Organization. (2024, November 14). Measles [Fact sheet]. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/measles (who.int) ↩︎
- Buechner, M. (2025, September 8). Americans Who Never Forget: Life Without Vaccines. UNICEF USA. https://www.unicefusa.org/stories/americans-who-never-forget-life-without-vaccines (unicefusa.org) ↩︎
As Told By a Pharmacist 
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