vaccine exemptions

Many people don't know which shots they need as they get older. And the vaccines can be tougher to keep track of because many adults go to the doctor less frequently than kids do.

Americans could be forgiven for not knowing that much about measles. After all, it's been 51 years since an effective vaccine was introduced, quickly turning the disease from a common childhood experience to a rarity, and nearly two decades since the disease was declared eliminated from the U.S.

Health officials in Grant County, Washington are responding to four probable cases of mumps.

NPR's public editor, who is independent of the newsroom, reviews concerns over vaccine coverage. The recent U.S. measles outbreak has offered a challenge to journalists who want to stay true to ethical principles while covering the story, a major aspect of which includes the contributing role of parents who don't vaccinate their children.

A large study released Monday finds no evidence that the vaccine that protects against measles, mumps and rubella increases the risk of autism. The study of children born in Denmark is one of the largest ever of the MMR vaccine.

All U.S. states require most parents to vaccinate their children against some preventable diseases, including measles, mumps, rubella and whooping cough, to be able to attend school. Such laws often apply to children in private schools and day care facilities as well as public schools.But this winter's outbreaks of measles across the nation are resulting in challenges to many exemptions: At least eight states, including some that have experienced measles outbreaks this year, want to remove personal exemptions for the measles vaccine. And some states would remove the exemption for all vaccines.

Two Washington legislative bills come amid an outbreak that has sickened at least 64 people in the state — all but one in Clark County — leading Gov. Jay Inslee to declare a state of emergency.