State Representative: Lower vaccination rates put Arizona at risk



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PHOENIX

A senior health official in Arizona said the increased use of immunization exemptions exposed the state to a risk of epidemic.

Health Services Director Cara Christ (Krihst) said in a blog Friday that non-medical student exemption rates had increased for all age groups three years in a row.

The Arizona law requires that children attending a school or daycare must obtain certain vaccines, unless dispensed by a physician for medical reasons or by a parent for personal or religious reasons.

According to Christ, exemption rates for religious beliefs in preschool institutions increased from 1% to 4.5%, compared to 4.5% in 2000, while exemption rates from personal beliefs to increased from 1.4% to 5.9% and from 6% to 6.1%.

Medical exemptions are rare.

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