More Calif. kids unvaccinated

LOS ANGELES, March 28 (UPI) -- Children in many California elementary schools are at risk of diseases like measles because schoolmates have not been vaccinated, health officials say.

The Los Angeles Times analyzed state data and reported that parents who opt out of state-mandated vaccinations are concentrated in high-income areas. The schools with high percentages of unvaccinated children, about one in 11, tend to be public schools in those communities or private non-religious schools.

California allows parents to opt out by simply filling out a form. The number of parents who do so has more than doubled since 1997 to more than 10,000 last fall.

One reason for the increase is a suspicion that there is a link between linking vaccinations and autism. Few doctors support that theory but it has frightened many parents, the newspaper said.

Public health experts say when most children are vaccinated the "herd effect" protects even unvaccinated children from infection. But when the percentage of unvaccinated children rises to 5 percent or 10 percent, outbreaks are possible.

Most children who contract chickenpox, measles and rubella recover quickly. But the diseases can cause dangerous complications, and rubella can damage the fetus if a pregnant woman gets the disease.