The Texans least likely to vaccinate their children

Texas is one of more than a dozen states that allows families with a philosophical objection (as opposed to a medical reason or religious objection) to opt of vaccinating their children. And a new study shows that Texans who are college-educated, live in suburban or urban areas, have higher incomes, and are white are less likely than people from other demographic groups to vaccinate their children. The study, which focused on children from kindergarten to eighth grade, reported that the median percentage of philosophical vaccine exemptions at school systems in the state doubled from 2012 to 2018. It found that 5% of public, 28% of private, and 22% of charter schools in the state’s metro areas are at high risk of vaccine-preventable childhood diseases because of vaccine exemptions.