Kids Aren't Getting Vaccinated For 1 Reason - and It Has Nothing to Do With Anti-Vaxxers

Get the Full StoryGood news: childhood vaccination rates have increased by 12 percent in the US between 2010 and 2016, according to a report from Blue Cross Blue Shield Association. And while we're jumping for joy at that statistic, the report also shed light on the biggest reason why kids aren't getting vaccinated - and it has nothing to do with the anti-vaxx movement. The main reason little ones aren't getting vaccinated on time? Missed doctors appointments.

The report, which is titled "Early Childhood Vaccination Trends in America," found 77 percent of those born in 2013 were up-to-date on their vaccinations, compared that 69 percent of kids born in 2010. Researchers also found that the most common reason for babies not being completely up-to-date with their vaccines was because parents missed their child's wellness visit and forgot to reschedule it. In total, missed doctor's appointments accounted for 62 percent of under-vaccinated cases for children born in 2013.

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And honestly, that's pretty shocking. What's more, the report broke down the vaccination rates by state and found North Dakota had the highest percentage of vaccinated children at 86 percent, while Nevada came in last at 63 percent. They even went as far as to evaluate major metropolitan areas and concluded that the nation's highest vaccination rate was in Fargo, ND 92 percent and the region with the lowest vaccination rate was Albany, NY 63 percent .

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Lastly, the group analyzed the refusal rate on a nationwide level for babies who were born in 2013 and found that it climbed from 2.5 percent for children born in 2010 to 4.2 percent for kids born in 2013. According to the research, the state with the highest rate of refusal was New York by a landslide. The region with the highest parental refusal rate was Richmond County, NY 25.6 percent followed by Nassau-Suffolk 14.2 percent , Dutchess County 10.3 percent , and New York-Newark 10.1 percent .

"While new advances in medicine are important, this report reminds us that vaccinations remain a fundamental health care innovation that substantially reduces morbidity and mortality for Americans," said Dr. Trent Haywood, senior vice president and chief medical officer for BCBSA in a press release. "Continued public health efforts can increase childhood vaccination rates by simply touting the benefits of attending regular children's checkups. This report demonstrates that vaccine use among commercially insured people in the US is increasing in the right direction. The data, however, also show large regional variation, indicating there are further improvements to be made."

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