MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The number of Wisconsin students who are fully immunized declined slightly in the last school year.
New data from state health officials show 91.9 % of students met immunization requirements, a decrease of 0.4% from the previous school year. Wisconsin Public Radio News reports that for diseases like measles, the immunization rate needs to be closer to 95% to protect the medically vulnerable.
More parents in Wisconsin opting out of vaccinations for their children based on personal convictions, not religious beliefs or medical recommendations. Wisconsin is one of 15 states that allow parents to get waivers based on personal convictions.
While the percentage of students receiving waivers for religious or medical reasons has remained relatively flat, the number of waivers for personal convictions has nearly quadrupled in the last two decades.
