Oregon Health Officials Report ‘Concerning’ Vaccine Trend

Oregon is concerned that new non-medical vaccination rates are rising, prompting some in the local media to push for “stronger” vaccine laws. If you live in Oregon, this should serve as a red flag for parental rights endangerment.

The issue started with the Oregon Health Authority (OHA) releasing its latest data for non-medical vaccination statistics. In 2015, the non-medical exemption rate in the state was 5.8%. In 2018, that’s now 7.5%, something that’s prompted state officials to look for new ways to “motivate” parents to get vaccines for their kids.

But what does the data really indicate and why isn’t all the data considered rather than just cherrypicked versions?

Woodburn School District, one of the districts in the state cited for “following the trend,” has yet to report an increase in any vaccine-preventable diseases. The Superintendent, Chuck Ransom, responded to inquiries over the matter of lower vaccine rates by saying, “We want to make sure our kids stay healthy and remain healthy later in life.” He also noted that the district hasn’t seen any increase in illnesses that could have been prevented by way of vaccines.

Ransom also noted that they’ve confronted/educated/indoctrinated parents over the matter tirelessly.

“We give parents all the information we can. We let them know that vaccines are well documented and that’s the best we can do. We follow state law. Our hands are tied,” Ransom said.

For a school to be considered “fully vaccinated,” they must hit the 95%+ vaccination rate, something many schools in Oregon aren’t hitting.

Beyond public schools, it seems that a number of notable private schools in the state are slumping on vaccines as well.

According to PamplinMedia

Gethsemane Christian Academy was identified as more vulnerable, while Elliot Prairie Christian School in Woodburn and Holy Family Academy in Mt. Angel were identified as being most vulnerable with 38 percent and 77 percent of students fully vaccinated respectively. According to OHA’s analysis the majority of schools with nonmedical exemptions below 80 percent are private schools.

The oddity in all of this was that in 2015, the trend was noted as moving in the opposite direction whereas non-medical vaccine rates went from 7% to the 5.8% cited earlier. A new law introduced at the time that made parents who wanted to claim a non-medical exemption take a number of steps was likely the reason. But now the trend has reversed, highlighting the idea that many parents trust overreaching governments less than they do those that give parental choice.

Oregon’s state requirements for vaccines include chickenpox, polio, hepatitis A and B, rubella, mumps, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, and measles.