America is on the brink of a dangerous ‘vaccine tipping point,’ says the FDA — amid a measles outbreak and record numbers of vaccine refusers

The United States is teetering on the edge of a life-threatening cliff as the number of unvaccinated people has reached dangerously high levels, putting people at risk of preventable deaths, health officials warn.

A new commentarywritten by Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Dr. Robert Califf and FDA vaccine regulator Dr. Peter Marks, warned that vaccination rates are approaching the level where there are not enough healthy vaccinated people to protect those who cannot get their shots because they are vulnerable are .

The comments come as four states are dealing with measles outbreaks and school vaccination rates are plummeting, while a record number of families are seeking vaccination exemptions.

The commentary said: ‘The situation has now deteriorated to the point that population immunity against some vaccine-preventable infectious diseases is at risk, and thousands of additional deaths are likely to occur this season due to preventable or the severity of the disease can be reduced. with vaccines.’

The team said vaccination was ‘one of the most effective public health interventions’, and vaccines have saved millions of lives, undergo rigorous testing to ensure safety and efficacy and are continuously monitored through safety monitoring systems.

Effective vaccine campaigns have eradicated deadly diseases such as smallpox and polio in the US.

Measles was similarly eliminated, but cases of the disease among unvaccinated people who contract the disease abroad and return to the U.S. are on the rise.

This month, four states have reported measles outbreaks. Officials in Pennsylvania, Virginia, New Jersey and Delaware reported nine infections, eight of which were among people who have never received the measles vaccine.

Another 30 people are being monitored for the disease. Measles is one of the most contagious viral diseases – several times more contagious than Covid.

The FDA officials wrote, “Unfortunately, childhood hesitancy has now been responsible for several measles outbreaks in the US.”

Experts attribute the decline in vaccinations to widespread misinformation, complacency, vaccine mandates and vaccine fatigue.

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows that a quarter of a million preschoolers are attending school without the recommended childhood vaccines — and the number of children with vaccine exemptions has peaked.

Additionally, three percent of kindergarteners had a vaccine exemption from one or more required vaccines for the 2022-2023 school year — up from 2.6 percent during the 2021-2022 school year and the highest the U.S. has ever recorded.

As the anti-vax movement has grown, so has the number of parents requesting vaccination exemptions for their children.

Each state has different guidelines for vaccine requirements and exemptions. While some may require all of the vaccines for kindergarten entry, others may only need a handful of vaccines at that time, deferring others to future grades.

When obtaining vaccine exemptions, there are two types: medical and non-medical, and exemptions can apply to one, more or all required childhood vaccines

Medical exemptions are allowed if a child has a medical condition that prevents them from receiving a vaccine. Non-medical exemptions include exemptions based on religious or philosophical beliefs.

Although rules vary by state, in most cases parents must receive documentation from a doctor stating that a child should be exempt from vaccinations.

The waivers are then reviewed and granted by the child’s school.

Drs. Califf and Marks emphasize that vaccines against flu, Covid-19 and respiratory syncytial virus are crucial to protecting people – as the US battles one of the worst cold winter seasons health workers have ever seen.

Officials say vaccination against these three viruses is “inadequate” and “concerning,” especially among the elderly who are at high risk of serious infections and death.

In the US, only a third of nursing home residents were up to date on their Covid vaccine and only 10 percent had received a vaccine against RSV.

A higher proportion — 72 percent — had received their flu vaccine, according to a Dec. 10 CDC report.

Older nursing home residents are at increased risk of severe illness and death from one of the three viruses due to their weakened immune systems.

During the 2021-2022 flu season, the death rate among people aged 65 and over was around 7.4 per 100,000 residents, compared to 0.1 per 100,000 people in the 18 to 49 age group.

Drs. Califf and Marks wrote in their commentary that it is difficult for people to take action when their own risk of a bad outcome is relatively low, even if the potential consequences are large and the risk to the entire population is serious.

In comparison with the argument for seat belts, they wrote: ‘In situations such as with seat belts, however, the discussion ultimately led to almost uniform use, and vaccination use was also almost uniformly accepted.

“The current reversal in vaccine acceptance has already resulted in hundreds of thousands of additional deaths from COVID-19 and concerns about the reemergence of previously vanquished infectious diseases.”

Experts have partly attributed the decline in vaccination rates in the US to Covid-19.

Although the Covid vaccine is not mandatory in the US, it is believed to be a contributing factor to the rise of vaccine hesitancy.

America’s top infectious disease expert, Dr. Anthony Fauci, admitted that Covid vaccine policies were “counterproductive” and that vaccine skeptics were turning away from vaccinations rather than winning their favor.

He said last year The New York Times: ‘Man, I think almost paradoxically there were people who were hesitant to get vaccinated and thought, why are they making me do this?

‘And that sometimes beautiful, independent streak in our country is becoming counterproductive. And you have this smoldering anti-science feeling, a division that is palpable politically in this country.”

And FDA officials wrote in their commentary that they found that vaccine hesitancy among children was found to be highest in middle- to high-income clusters of parents with at least a college degree who preferred stories shared on social media. instead of evidence-based vaccine information. provided by doctors.

Drs. Califf and Marks said vaccine complacency has also increased the number of unvaccinated people: ‘Unfortunately, with the success of childhood vaccination campaigns to date, more and more people have become complacent and underestimate the true risk of forgoing vaccination .’

To counter the emerging anti-vax movement, the authors strongly urge healthcare professionals to redouble their efforts to provide accurate and clear information about the benefits of vaccination.

They added: ‘Such information is needed now because vaccines have been so successful in achieving their intended effects that many people no longer see the worrying morbidity and mortality associated with vaccine-susceptible infections.

“We believe that the best way to counter the current high volume of misinformation about vaccines is to dilute it with large amounts of truthful, accessible scientific evidence.

‘To reduce deaths, hospital admissions and the burden on families and the healthcare system, all those who are in direct contact with individuals in a healthcare environment, ranging from front office staff to retail pharmacists to GPs, must focus on every appropriate opportunity . to ensure that individuals have the necessary information to make informed choices regarding vaccination, taking into account the benefits and risks.