CHARLOTTE — Due to the measles outbreak in South Carolina, the health department has put all its partner agencies on notice to be on the lookout.
They don’t want any cases slipping through the cracks.
Every parent wants to keep their kids safe. For some that means getting their kids vaccinated. For others it means passing on the shot.
“If their parents feel like it’s the best thing for them they should do it, but I also think that for parents who decide this is not the right move for their health, then they have the right to make that decision,” said Omar Ijaz, a parent.
“This is about keeping children safe,” said Health Department Director Dr. Raynard Washington.
Washington said the measles outbreak in South Carolina has the department on alert.
“It does put our residents at greater risk of potential exposure because of the frequency at which we exchange folk coming back and forth,” said Washington.
There is also a local trend that is worrying health department officials. More parents are using the religious exemption to opt out of getting their kids vaccinated for a number of illnesses.
In 2023 4,217 parents used the exemption. In 2024 it was 4,806 and this year the number is almost 5,400.
“As we continue to see this growing number of kids either not up to date because of their compliance issues or families choosing not to get their kids vaccinated and at the same time we see more cases of these vaccine preventable diseases entering our community, it puts us at greater risk for large scale outbreaks,” Washington said. “So we’re concerned as we see that number rise.”
The vast majority of parents in Mecklenburg County have gotten their kids vaccinated, but the opt outs is a trend health department officials would like to see less of.
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