U.S. News January 14, 2026
Disease risks grow as vaccination rates drop and school vaccination exemptions rise.
New Year’s optimism often spurs pledges of healthier choices, but reasons for pessimism about America’s health this year persist.
Childhood vaccination rates are on the decline, and school vaccination requirement exemptions are on the rise – fostering more opportunities for dangerous infectious diseases to spread.
The trends were already in motion before Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took over as secretary of Health and Human Services, but public health experts worry they will worsen given the steps Kennedy has taken to sow doubts about the safety and effectiveness of vaccines and reduce the number of recommended shots for children.
“I think it’s going...
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