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Source: Westport News

By: Cuda, Amanda

09/04/2012

The number of parents who have obtained exemptions from vaccinations for their children is on the rise in Connecticut. Last year, 1,056 children entering kindergarten and seventh grade received exemptions, which is a 127 percent increase from 465 exemptions in 2003, according to the state Department of Public Health. Some parents are obtaining exemptions due to concerns that vaccines are linked to other health conditions, and they may not feel threatened because the illnesses are not common. Although vaccination coverage in the state remains high, some doctors are concerned about the increase in exemptions. “If you have more and more kids not getting vaccinated, then you have more and more of a pool for illness to take hold,” says Dr. Robert Chessin, a pediatrician at Pediatric Healthcare Associates in Bridgeport and Shelton. Many doctors will not see children if their parents refuse to get them vaccinated without a valid medical reason.