Twin Falls, Idaho (KMVT-TV) More parents are choosing to delay or skip their children's vaccinations.

That's according to a recent study published in the journal of Pediatrics.

Idaho has the lowest vaccination rate in the country.

"People tell me they haven't immunized their baby and I say well I wouldn't take him to the church daycare. Or, I would tell them they need to hang up a sign that says children in this daycare may not be immunized. Parents should choose whether they want to use it or not,” Dr. Jack Trotter, Pediatrician, St. Luke’s Magic Valley.

Center for Disease Control numbers show less than 64 percent of Idaho toddlers are immunized as recommended, compared with the national average of 73 percent.
The recent study suggests parents may be skipping or delaying shots because they're afraid of the health risks involved with multiple shots.

But, health officials say not vaccinating could be worse.

"We feel that it increases the risk of illness or death for their children and for the community too,” said Dr. Trotter.


Trotter has been a pediatrician with St. Luke's Magic Valley since the 80s. As he explains, he's seen first hand the effectiveness of immunizations.

"We use to see 12–15 cases a year of an extremely serious meningitis infection of the brain, and now we haven't treated a case of that in the last 8 or 9 years, so that immunization worked great,” said Dr. Trotter.

For those who may have heard the devastating stories associated with immunizations, Trotter has a message.

"All of those horror stories, even if some of them were related to immunizations, it's absolutely a thing of the past,” said Dr. Trotter.

Trotter labels the possibility of a serious side–effect as miniscule.