Study says more parents are refusing vaccinations for kids

A report from the American Academy of Pediatrics states that more and more parents are refusing to get their children vaccinated.

According to the study,  the main reason was parents didn’t see the point of vaccines. 47 ABC spoke with Olivia Butler, a nurse supervisor for the Wicomico County Health Department.

Butler says she doesn’t know the exact number of refusals in the county this year, but she admits there are refusals every year.

The Academy of Pediatrics report explains the dangers of unvaccinated children stating this increases the potential harm to others in the community, at school, and to the child as well if they contract a disease.

Plus, if a parent chooses not to immunize their children in Wicomico County, there are certain protocols in place that parents might not know about.

“If they’re not vaccinated and there was an outbreak or a threat of having you know that disease in a school then they would be excluded for a couple weeks–or a month depending on what the disease is so then they would be behind in school,” Butler says.

Parents may find vaccinations unnecessary, but the American Academy of Pediatrics says there hasn’t been an outbreak in the U.S. for a long time because the vaccinations are working. And experts say refusing to vaccinate could cause a resurgence of diseases.