The religious exemption for measles vaccine in Illinois is reevaluated as protection against disease at school fades

CHICAGO (WLS) – A Team I survey found that an increasing number of schools in Illinois were below the level of measles vaccination coverage reported by the World Health Organization and necessary for child safety.

While the country is on the verge of losing the "measles-free" status it has held for nearly two decades, the I-Team has been inspired by local vaccination data behind the return of measles, which allowed the surprising reappearance of a disease that could have been eradicated. . The latest figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicate 1,241 individual cases of measles in the United States up to now in 2019, the highest number since 1992.

Investigative teams from ABC-owned television stations across the country analyzed local measles immunization rates and found schools across the country whose schooling rate is below the rate considered "collective immunity" or collective immunity ". According to the WHO, 93 to 95% of people in a population must be vaccinated against measles so that the rest of the population is safe from this highly contagious disease. The WHO and the Illinois Department of Public Health both aim for an average immunization rate of 90%, with the goal of a measles protection of 95% in order to maintain the immunity of the patient. herd.

The analysis of I-Team data revealed the presence of 514 schools in Illinois where less than 95% of children are immunized against measles, which poses a potential risk for children. ;school. This is an increasing number, rising from 439 schools in 2016 to 455 in 2017. Some public schools in Chicago are below the 95% threshold, the primary school in Manierre (90%) on the North-South loop (91.06%) at the Spencer Technology Academy located on the west side of the city. Just under 85% (84.84%) of students were vaccinated against measles. A CPC spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.

Schools also slide below 95% in the suburbs. The Williard (91.72%), Harriet Gifford (94.75%) and Century Oaks Elementary (94.8%) schools in the Elgin area are all under the security target. A 46-year-old spokesperson said the new 2019-2020 data showed Harriet Gifford at 93.33% Willard at 97% and Century Oaks at 98%.

In Forest Park, Garfield (91.98%) and Grant-White (94.85%) elementary schools and the college are below the recommended safety threshold. The vaccination rate is just below target at 94.9% at Highlands Elementary in Naperville. The spokespersons of these schools did not comment on this report.

State data show a measles immunization of 92.9% at Carol Stream Elementary School. A spokesman for the CCSD93 said that following a follow-up with students listed as non-compliant in data submitted last year to the state's Education Council of the United States. In Illinois, 97.7% of Carol Stream Primary School students were up to date on measles vaccine.

"Even if other schools are 100%, it will not help your school if your school is 85% or 92%," said Dr. Ngozi Ezike, director of the public health department of the school. 39, Illinois at the I-Team.

She said that if the overall rate of measles protection in the state was 98% on average, he was trying to boost problematic individual vaccination rates in school. Ezike said that social media is boosting anti-vaccination voices and that by spreading false information online about the fact that vaccines are dangerous, social media posts can put more children at risk .

"I think the biggest danger is the misinformation that exists," said Dr. Ezike.

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The low immunity rate of the group is "life or death" for the River Forest family

Three of Sonia Green's sons have a genetic disorder called XLA, which means that their immune system basically has no memory. In order to protect them from serious diseases such as measles, the Green family relies on community immunity, also called herd immunity, as well as on special treatments.

"Our goal is to allow our boys to lead a normal life.We want them to go to public school," Green said. "There are very real people whose lives are affected day by day, hour by hour, by what happens with these lower vaccination rates."

The Green family travels to Oak Park and River Forest High School, where, according to last year's IDPH data, measles immunization dropped to 94.95%, just below the immunity threshold of herd. Green monitors the immune protection rates of local schools.

"I think the data is very important, I just want to know what the numbers are saying," she said.

A spokesperson for Oak Park and River Forest High School said that their percentage of compliance with the vaccine was increasing as the school year progressed as they submitted more complete data to the community. responsible for the state. They also told the I-Team that they "continued to overtake [WHO] guidelines year after year, and we are proud of it. We believe Oak Park and River Forest High School are doing everything possible to prevent the spread of measles in our community. "

IDPH examines religious exemptions from vaccines while I-Team investigates an increase

The I-Team also found a trend in data on measles vaccine from Illinois. The largest increase in the decline in vaccination rates is due to the increase in the number of parents availing themselves of a religious exemption from the vaccine. Last year, 2003 more children unvaccinated than the previous school year. The vast majority of this increase – 73.6% – is due to an increase in religious exemptions.

"We are considering all the options, if legislation could be needed again, by examining other states in which they abrogated religious exemptions as a way to avoid vaccination," said Dr. Ezike.

"We know that there are no major religions that have principles in which they say vaccines are banned," said Dr. Anita Chandra, spokeswoman for the American Academy of Pediatrics. The AAP is pushing public health authorities, here in Illinois and nationwide, to ban non-medical exemptions for vaccines, such as religious exemptions. Dr. Chandra is part of a committee that has just started meeting in Illinois and is working "to find a way to make medical exemptions more rigorous and to remove religious exemptions from the law." State of Illinois ".

"When we have a very effective and very safe vaccine, it makes no sense to put someone else's life at risk by contracting measles," Dr. Chandra said.

This I-Team survey is part of a joint data survey with ABC-owned television stations in New York, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Houston, San Francisco, Raleigh and Fresno.

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