Excerpt from the Dayton Daily News
Hesitancy regarding the COVID-19 vaccine rollout last year coincided with an increasing number of parents filing moral or religious exemptions to their children entering kindergarten with established, required vaccines against diseases like measles and polio, a Dayton Daily News investigation found.
At 14 elementary schools in the region, at least 10% of kindergarteners’ parents or guardians opted them out of getting required vaccines due to religious or moral objections during the 2021-2022 school year, according to new data from the Ohio Department of Health analyzed by the Dayton Daily News.
The increases exceed state averages, and are more than those districts saw prior to the pandemic.
“Vaccine hesitancy has been on the rise since even before COVID, and I think it’s even worse now,” said Dr. Sara Paton, an associate professor of epidemiology at Wright State University’s Boonshoft School of Medicine.
Heidi Shaw, president of the Ohio Association of School Nurses, said she has seen more vaccine hesitancy from parents and guardians.
“When this occurs, I like to make sure that I have established a safe space for families to share their worries while also making sure I am providing them with the most factual information,” Shaw said. “I have found that a lot of the concern is rooted in misinformation.”
The Dayton Daily News reached out to local schools, health departments, and other experts about the trend of vaccine hesitancy, potential consequences such as the resurgence of once-rare diseases, and how school districts can communicate with families about vaccines.
- Read more in the Dayton Daily News
