The true public detriment of the anti-vaccination movement

Diseases that have long been under control have seen a vast outbreak across the U.S. as an anti-vaccine phenomenon has allowed these once tamed diseases to make a roaring comeback. Although vaccination rates against the majority of diseases are around 90 percent, an anti-vaccination trend is growing with the help of religious and philosophical state exemptions. Specifically, states such as Idaho, Michigan, Oregon and Vermont have seen the rate of unvaccinated kindergarteners for non-medical reasons soar four times above the national average. In particular, measles has been one disease that the country has widely controlled since the early 20th century, where more than 500,000 cases were seen on average each year. After the introduction of a vaccine in 1967, the country has kept the amount of confirmed measles cases well below the 200 mark. However, if the anti-vaccine movement gains headway and continues to become a widespread belief, the country could potentially...