Measles cases have spiked in the first quarter of 2019 with
outbreaks in ten states. Vaccinations prevent many communicable diseases, but
measles is back. Epidemiologists believe it's because some parents do not
immunize their children. As a result, the so called “herd protection” from
disease that public health officials rely on, is weaker. The option to forgo
vaccinations varies from state to state and is based on laws that are different
across the country. Some states allow vaccination exemptions based on a person’s
religious or philosophical beliefs. However some lawmakers are rethinking their
vaccination policies because of the recent up tick in measles cases - and
they’re looking to an unlikely part of the country as a model: Appalachia.