Vaccine Exemptions In Texas

On Thursday, February 5, 2014, the Texas Tribune posted an article about vaccine exemptions throughout Texas by their county school districts. Texas percentage rate is at an all time high, especially in areas such as Travis County, Lampasas County and Denton ISD. This immediately draws red flags for our Texas government because it has led to a frequency of infectious disease outbreaks such as the measles.  This article is one I think to be highly important because with these exemptions, it is putting our communities at risk for infections. It gives us information of the locations throughout Texas where exemptions are the highest. My personal translation would be, proceed to these locations with caution. Vaccinations are evidently optional, and the option is given to file a "conscientious exemption" form based on personal or religious beliefs refusing the vaccine. We get so caught up in these beliefs that we bypass the risks we're putting our people in. I strongly believe that certain vaccines should be required by law. This would strongly protect our children and families from infectious and even deadly disease.