For more than a half-century, vaccines have had remarkable success eradicating the most lethal and devastating childhood infectious diseases, saving millions of lives and ushering in a relative golden era of global public health, thanks to scientific progress.
But now, America is dangerously backsliding.
The vast majority of counties across the United States are experiencing declining rates of childhood vaccination and have been for years, according to an NBC News investigation, the most comprehensive analysis of vaccinations and school exemptions to date.
One key finding of the analysis is stunning: A large swath of the U.S. currently does not have the basic, ground-level immunity medical experts say is necessary to stop the spread of measles, which had nearly been eliminated.
Read more from Part 1 of The Vaccine Divide, a data investigation into how an escalating movement against immunization is challenging public education, widening health disparities and threatening the health of America’s children. See where vaccination rates are lowest, what data NBC News collected and check out more stories from NBC stations across the country.
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