In the U.S. it's alleged that overall fewer individuals and families have been choosing to opt out of school-mandated immunizations. But there is mention of an increase in numerous states where individuals and families are opting out for religious or other philosophical reasons (non-medical exemptions), according to CDC data.

In New Jersey alone, the number of state religious exemptions was seen to more than double for primary school children within just a 6 year period. And the growing trend of those choosing to opt-out has many health officials, and others in the community worried.

The CDC data shows a sharp spike in nonmedical exemptions between 2013-2014, and since then they've fallen slightly, while a few others are increasing. Last year, it is estimated that at least 72,000 kindergartners weren't vaccinated in the U.S. and after California passed rules limiting personal belief exemptions, they too saw a drop in non-medical exemptions.

What states are increasing in non-medical exemptions:

Florida, Iowa, Kentucky, Maryland, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Virginia.

Many lawmakers in these states, like in Iowa, are now seeking to pass laws that prohibit non-medical vaccination exemptions. There have also been efforts to pass laws that introduce rules to have parents forcibly re-educated if they seek to have their child receive a non-medical vaccine exemption.

The Debate

Those who are in favor of forced vaccinations say that everyone should have to be subjected to the immunization schedules because if they aren't then they are endangering others in the community. And yet, there are many passionate individuals (a lot of nurses and doctors included) who still advocate for a more thoughtful and deliberate approach with immunizations, rather than a must-accept-them-all-without-question sort of mindset.

The CDC has received a great deal of criticism, and allegations surrounding fraud and corruption. And it is because of their controversial activity that many other parents are now skeptical about believing their statements without question.

The issue really is a hot-button topic for many, and it feels as though those who are in favor of forced vaccinations feel that everyone should accept every vaccine without question and submit to the state's forcible guidelines about how those vaccines should be administered; otherwise you are a vaccine science denying nutcase.

Those who hear anyone question vaccinations will automatically assume that they are anti-vaccination science overall, but for many who question vaccines that simply isn't the case. There are individuals who do agree with and believe in vaccination science in an of itself, but that doesn't mean they have to believe that all vaccinations, in all quantities, are safe for all people. There are a lot of parents who care deeply about their children and they spend countless hours doing research into the ingredients that go into vaccines and more surrounding the topic, so I think it's unfair to demonize them all as being ignorant simply because they make the decision to opt-out. I am not a doctor so you definitely shouldn't take what I have to say as any sort of medical advice. This is a decision which should be made between the individual and their personal healthcare practitioner.

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Sources:
http://www.newsobserver.com/news/article132274674.html
https://www.statnews.com/2017/01/20/vaccine-exemptions-states/
http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/government/iowa-politics-today-the-debate-over-vaccine-exemptions-20170209
http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/canadian-politics/ontario-parents-who-object-to-vaccines-could-be-forced-to-take-a-class-in-science-of-immunization
http://wearechange.org/cdc-forced-release-documents-showing-knew-vaccine-preservative-causes-autism/