In what can only be described as an alarming trend, growing numbers of parents in more than half of the states are choosing to not have their children vaccinated.

Even though the vaccinations are required for school attendance, states allow parents who object to them to opt out.  This has health officials worried about possible new outbreaks of diseases that were all but stamped out.

loading...

Rules for exemptions vary by state and can include medical, religious or — in some states — philosophical reasons.

Parents’ reasons for skipping the shots vary. Some doubt that vaccines are essential. Others fear that vaccines carry their own risks.  Some do it to avoid the hassles of getting the shots.  Still others are ambivalent, believing in older vaccines but questioning newer shots against, say, chickenpox.

Health officials say parents who let their kids skip vaccines put other children at risk.  Because no vaccine is 100 percent effective, if an outbreak begins in an unvaccinated group of children, a vaccinated child may still be at some risk of getting sick.

Even though medical scientists say it's not true, some parents still believe vaccines cause autism and refuse to allow their children to be vaccinated.

It's been reported by credible medical sources that the original study that supposedly found "a link" between vaccines and autism has been completely debunked.

More From Newstalk 860