Mecklenburg County is seeing a sharp increase in vaccine-preventable diseases as childhood vaccination rates decline and more families claim exemptions, county health officials said Tuesday.
Health officials reported 67 cases of pertussis, or whooping cough, last year, up from just four cases two years earlier.
The concern comes as more than 430 measles cases have been reported in South Carolina, and traces of the highly contagious virus have now been detected in wastewater samples in Mecklenburg County, suggesting possible local spread.
Mecklenburg County Health Director Dr. Raynard Washington said even though the vast majority of children are still getting their shots, growing vaccine hesitancy is contributing to the problem.
“We are seeing a growing number of families who are requesting exemptions from being able to adhere to CMS’s requirements for vaccines,” Washington said.
Statewide data reflect the trend. More than 3% of North Carolina students claimed vaccine exemptions last year, more than triple the rate from a decade ago. At the same time, the percentage of kindergarten through fifth-grade students vaccinated against measles fell to 92%, below the 95% threshold public health experts say is needed to prevent outbreaks.
Health officials continue to urge families to keep vaccinations up to date, warning that lower immunization rates increase the risk of widespread outbreaks of diseases once considered rare.
