Home Contra Costa County County: New Online Tool Identifies Daycare Facilities and Kindergartens with Low Immunization Rates

County: New Online Tool Identifies Daycare Facilities and Kindergartens with Low Immunization Rates

by ECT

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Contra Costa Health Services (CCHS) launched an online tool on March 4 to raise awareness about the growing number of parents who avoid school-required immunizations for their kids – a trend that threatens the entire community.

Interactive maps at cchealth.org now make it easy for parents and the community to check immunization levels at most kindergartens and child care facilities in Contra Costa County.

The maps show that the kindergartens at five elementary schools and students at 22 child care facilities are especially vulnerable to outbreaks of serious, vaccine-preventable diseases because of low immunization levels.

The recent exposure of BART riders to measles by a contagious, unvaccinated passenger underscores that these diseases remain a serious risk, said Paul Leung, Contra Costa Public Health immunization coordinator.

“High immunity levels among those exposed likely prevented more people from getting sick. But with more people skipping vaccines, that could change,” Leung said. “It’s important to know that it takes only 10% of a population to opt out of immunization to fuel a disease outbreak that could sicken many people, including those too young or too sick to receive vaccine.”

Schools require students to receive doctor-recommended vaccines against several diseases, such as measles, whooping cough and polio, but California law allows parents with personal beliefs against vaccination to opt out.

The maps show the percentage of students at each campus who did not receive all their vaccinations because parents filed a Personal Belief Exemption (PBE). The use of PBEs has increased over the past five years, both locally and statewide.

The campus with the highest 2013 kindergarten PBE level in the county – 50% – is East Bay Waldorf School in El Sobrante, which briefly closed in 2008 due to a whooping cough outbreak.

Health officials hope that a new state law that went into effect this year will improve immunization rates. The law requires families seeking a PBE to meet with their healthcare providers to discuss vaccine and disease facts, ensuring that parents have access to accurate information.

“There is no reason why children and other community members should be at increased risk of contracting whooping cough, measles and other serious diseases that can be prevented with vaccines,” said Dr. Joanna Chin, a pediatrician at CCHS’ Martinez Health Center. “Many of the parents I see who want to skip vaccines for their children do so based on faulty information. Access to accurate information can help parents make informed decisions.”

Visit cchealth.org/immunization/school-iz-levels.php to view the maps and other information about school vaccinations.

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The map above shows the location of every school in Contra Costa County that enrolls 15 or more kindergarten students. Each school is color coded according to the percentage of kindergarteners in 2013-14 that lack required immunizations because their families filed Personal Belief Exemptions (PBEs).

  • Red dots represent campuses where more than 10% of students have PBEs.
  • Yellow dots represent campuses where 3% to 9.9% of students have PBEs.
  • Green dots represent campuses where 0% to 2.9% of students have PBEs.

Schools without kindergarten classes are not shown on this map.

The kindergartens with the highest PBE rates in Contra Costa County are listed here. A list of all Contra Costa schools with at least 15 kindergartners is available here.

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7 comments

Amy Chang Mar 6, 2014 - 6:47 am

As a new mom, I think home schooling is looking pretty good right now if parents fail to get their school required immunizations for their kids. I don’t think its right that PBE’s trump others because this is a public safety issue and can be prevented.

Cathy Daniel Mar 6, 2014 - 10:04 am

Amy–home schooling is HARD! I did it with my kids at various times. Please think long and hard about that and remember that your children will still be out in public, whether it is in church, the park, the grocery store, etc….As a mom who had young children in East L.A., I can tell you that vaccinations are so vitally important. I saw terrible diseases in children while we lived and worked there. The days missed parents missed from work to care for their children sometimes meant they lost their jobs. Permanent lung scarring from whooping cough. Have you EVER heard a child with whooping cough? It is terrifying. No one can tell you what to do but please consider that you can NEVER have your child in a bubble. For anything. Not just vaccinations. Parenting is the hardest job you will ever have. I’m on my 33rd year of it. It doesn’t get easier. All the best to you. Seriously

Kate L Mar 6, 2014 - 1:53 pm

My husband and I plan to home school our two young children for a number of reasons, this being one of them. Best of luck to you!!

Michelle Mar 6, 2014 - 6:49 am

I hope people realize that the PBE create a public safety issue. Look at the Berkeley student who took BART. I for one am glad I don’t have any younger kids, but you newer parents need to step up.

Cathy Daniel Mar 6, 2014 - 10:04 am

AMEN!!

Cathy Daniel Mar 6, 2014 - 9:58 am

I don’t understand the student count. I know for sure that the schools have more students than are being shown. Am I missing something here?

Robyn C Mar 6, 2014 - 2:03 pm

“The maps show that the kindergartens at five elementary schools and students at 22 child care facilities are especially vulnerable to outbreaks of serious, vaccine-preventable diseases because of low immunization levels.”
False.

“High immunity levels among those exposed likely prevented more people from getting sick. But with more people skipping vaccines, that could change.”
False.

Even the CDC admits that the unvaccinated have nothing to do with disease rates. Many of the vaccines themselves aren’t terribly effective, especially those for pertussis (whooping cough), measles, mumps, and chicken pox.

“It’s important to know that it takes only 10% of a population to opt out of immunization to fuel a disease outbreak that could sicken many people.”
False again.

Only 1% of parents opt out of vaccines for their children, but more than 70% of adults don’t get their booster shots. We don’t have herd immunity; we never have.

More educated parents are less likely to vaccinate their children, so we’re not the ones who need education.

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