Vaccine hesitancy could leave us vulnerable to mumps, polio, and hepatitis B.

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MIT Technology Review

Measles outbreaks are accelerating across the US and UK, driven by declining vaccination rates well below the 95% threshold needed for herd immunity. Experts warn this trend could foreshadow resurgences of other vaccine-preventable diseases including mumps, polio, and hepatitis B. Recent CDC changes removing the hepatitis B vaccine recommendation for newborns, combined with growing parental refusal of even vitamin K injections, are raising alarms among public health officials. Alaska's historical success in eliminating childhood liver cancer through universal hepatitis B vaccination is cited as a cautionary example of what could be lost.

Measles cases are rising. Other vaccine-preventable infections could be next.