What Mississippi can teach California

I can’t believe I’m writing this, but: California, you’ve got a heck of a lot to learn from Mississippi.

Not in terms of per capita income, obesity rates or LGBT rights. It’s well-known that Mississippi falls at or near the bottom of 50-state rankings for a range of social and health indicators.

But there’s at least one stat where the Magnolia State shines: Its vaccination rate.

A staggering 99.7% of kindergarteners in Mississippi are vaccinated for measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control and prevention.

That’s the highest rate in the nation.

In California, the rate is only 92.3%.

They save lives.

And allowing parents to act on such misguided “beliefs” is negligent.

California needs to take a cue from Mississippi and remove its vaccine exemptions.

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