Fears of US public health crises grow amid falling vaccination rates

WASHINGTON — Plummeting immunization rates, outbreaks of once-vanquished childhood diseases, and the appointment of a vocal vaccine skeptic as health secretary have US experts sounding the alarm about a looming public health crisis.

Since the start of the year, nearly 100 cases of measles have been reported in Texas and neighboring New Mexico, raising fears that the highly contagious and potentially serious illness is making a comeback.

"The measles is the canary in the coal mine," warned leading pediatrician and immunologist Paul Offit, highlighting the decline in vaccination rates since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Amid growing distrust of health authorities and pharmaceutical companies, more parents are opting not to vaccinate their children.

The proportion of preschool-aged children vaccinated against measles,  which is mandatory, has dropped nationally from 95 per cent in 2019 to less than 93 per cent in 2023. Some regions show even steeper declines, such as Idaho, where rates have fallen below 80 per cent.

Experts warn that this trend could worsen under the leadership of newly appointed Health Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., who has repeatedly questioned vaccine safety and promoted misinformation.

"It is a disaster waiting to happen, and it will happen," Offit told AFP.

Religious exemptions

In Louisiana, whooping cough has resulted in the deaths of two children, according to local media. As with measles, experts attribute the resurgence to vaccine exemptions.

"This is already happening. Our immunization rates are already low enough that vulnerable children are getting these diseases," said Jennifer Herricks, a scientist and board member of the nonprofit Louisiana Families for Vaccines, in an interview with AFP.

Across much of the country, parents can opt out of mandatory vaccinations for reasons beyond medical contraindications.

Many states allow exemptions on religious grounds, while others permit "philosophical" objections, or both.

"In Texas, you can just, pretty much say, I object," explained Terri Burke of the Texas-based Immunization Partnership.

The recent measles cases have been reported in a Texas county with a large Mennonite population, a conservative Christian sect.

The situation is reminiscent of the 2019 measles outbreak, which saw more than 1,200 cases, primarily among unvaccinated Orthodox Jewish communities in New York and New Jersey.

While the reasons behind these exemptions vary, ranging from religious beliefs and fear of side effects to distrust in health authorities or difficulties accessing health care, there is an undeniable trend linked to a "pandemic backlash," said Richard Hughes, a health policy expert at George Washington University.