The percentage of young kids in the US who received no vaccine doses has continued to rise, as have vaccine exemption rates, according to two reports published Thursday by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
While coverage for a number of vaccines "remained high and stable overall," the segment of unvaccinated kids under age 2 rose from 0.9% for those born in 2011 to 1.3% for those born in 2015, according to one report.
"Although the number of children who have received no vaccinations by age 24 months has been gradually increasing, most children are still routinely vaccinated," wrote authors from the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases.
While the report does not identify the reasons behind the trend, the authors say that it could have something to do with lack of knowledge about how to access free vaccines; transportation; how close clinics are and when they operate; child care; and a shortage of pediatricians and other health care providers in rural areas.
Of the states included in the kindergartener analysis (41 or 49 states depending on the vaccine, plus Washington DC), the nation's capital reported the lowest median rates of vaccine coverage for varicella; diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis; and measles, mumps and rubella.
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