The Impact of Low Vaccination Rates in the Bible Belt Region: Potential for Epidemic and Complications

The question is whether the regional revolution in the south will now die or continue, Hofstra points out. “If it reaches the Bible Belt region, where the vaccination rate is very low, it could lead to an epidemic there. We last saw that in 2013.”

In this more Christian area, the vaccination rate is lower than in other areas. Strict believers choose to vaccinate less, because according to some it can be a denial of God’s providence.

But that choice could have an impact on the surrounding areas, such as Fryslân. “Then you can see that if there are so many measles cases in the Bible Belt, there is an introduction in Fryslân and other areas as well. The vaccination rate is high there, but not high enough to be kept out altogether.”

For many people the situation is not too bad. “But in the previous epidemic we saw that one person died,” Hofstra says.

“Measles can also affect your immune system: anyone who gets it will have a much weaker immune system for years to come, making other diseases more likely to affect them. You can also suffer complications, such as pneumonia or in some cases encephalitis.”

That’s why the motto: prevention is better than cure. “It’s easily preventable with a vaccine, and the side effects are much less than if you catch measles.”