Research at the University of Virginia School of Medicine shows that nearly 5 percent of infants in Rochester are not getting their common vaccines that protect them from illnesses.
The research suggests parents with less education about the importance of the vaccines play a role in the decline, and that some parents may be nervous to bring new babies into the hospital or doctors’ offices for their shots
Scientists warn that not completing the vaccine series leaves children at increased risk of infection, illness and death and reduces herd immunity -- allowing diseases to potentially spread more easily.