The Vaccine Divide: An Exclusive NBC News investigation

Vaccination Rate Decline - Since 2019, 77% of counties and jurisdictions have experienced a decline in vaccination rates [3] - 68% of counties and jurisdictions collecting MMR data now have rates below the 95% target for herd immunity [4] - St Louis kindergarten measles vaccination rates dropped from nearly 90% in 2010 to 74% in 2024 [11] Exemption Increase - 53% of counties and jurisdictions saw their exemption rates more than double from their first year of data to their most recent [6] - Exemptions are granted for religious and philosophical reasons, not just medical reasons [6][8] Contributing Factors - Growing vaccine hesitancy, fueled by online misinformation, contributes to the decline [9] - Lower-income areas face difficulties in accessing vaccines, impacting vaccination rates [10] - Some schools may be overlooking vaccine mandates due to concerns about losing federal funding [12][14] Potential Consequences - Experts predict another outbreak is a matter of time [16] - A potential outbreak in a city like St Louis could have significantly larger consequences than the Gaines County outbreak, which saw 100 hospitalizations and two child deaths [11]