MORE TENNESSEE PARENTS OBTAINING VACCINE EXEMPTIONS FOR THEIR CHILDREN. ACCORDING TO THE CDC. THIS IS THE FIRST MEASLES CASE HAS BEEN DETECTED IN THE STATE SINCE 2019 OFFICIALS SAY THE INFECTED PERSON RECENTLY TRAVELED INTERNATIONALLY AND WAS NOT VACCINATED. STATE CAPITOL REPORTER TORI GESSNER NOW LOOKS INTO WHAT MORE PARENTS ARE OPTING OUT AND WITH THIS ALL MAY MEAN FOR PUBLIC HEALTH. >> NEW SHARPENED PENCILS AND SHOTS. THEY'RE ALL PART OF THE BACK-TO-SCHOOL ROUTINE. BUT DR. RANDY WYCKOFF, DEAN OF THE COLLEGE OF PUBLIC HEALTH AT EAST TENNESSEE STATE UNIVERSITY SAYS FEWER KIDS ARE ROLLING UP THEIR SLEEVES ACROSS THE COUNTRY. SO HE'S NOT SURPRISED TO SEE MEASLES IN TENNESSEE FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE 2019 IN ORDER TO KEEP MEASLES FROM COMING BACK. >> YOU NEED TO HAVE A CERTAIN PERCENTAGE OF PEOPLE IMMUNIZED AGAINST HEALTH OFFICIALS SAY THE INFECTED TENNESSEE RESIDENT WHO RECENTLY TRAVELED INTERNATIONALLY >> WASN'T VACCINATED. A TREND THAT'S BECOMING SLIGHTLY MORE COMMON IN KIDS IN TENNESSEE, ACCORDING TO THE CDC, THE DATA SAYS CHILDHOOD VACCINE EXEMPTIONS IN THE STATE INCREASED ALMOST ONE PERCENTAGE POINT IN THE 2022. 2023 SCHOOL YEAR COMPARED TO THE YEAR PRIOR. THIS CDC MAP SHOWING THE UPTICK IN NON-MEDICAL EXEMPTIONS ACROSS THE COUNTRY. UNFORTUNATELY, WE SEE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE NOT VACCINATED AGAINST MEASLES. >> AND >> SURPRISING PERCENT OF PEOPLE WHO FEEL. THAT THE VACCINE IS. WORSE THAN THE DISEASE. AND THAT THE VACCINE CAUSES AUTISM. BOTH OF WHICH. >> HER PART SIMPLY NOT TRUE. TENNESSEE'S MOST RECENT KINDERGARTEN VACCINATION RATE IS DOWN SLIGHTLY FROM 2019, BUT IT'S STILL ABOVE THE NATIONAL AVERAGE AT 95% COMPARED TO 93% NATIONWIDE. IT'S WELCOMED NEWS FOR DR WYCKOFF WHO ENCOURAGES PEOPLE TO STAY OFF QUESTIONLE WEBSITES THAT MAKE CLAIMS ABOUT HEALTH CARE AND GET INFORMATION FROM A QUALIFIED PROFESSIONAL. THEY CAN TRUST. VACCINES ARE ONE OF THE THINGS THAT WE CAN DO TO ACTUALLY. PROMOTE HEALTH AND PREVENT DISEASE REPORTING IN NASHVILLE. I'M TORI GESSNER. >> BO WILLIAMS: THE CAPITOL LAWMAKERS PASSED A BILL LAST YEAR REQUIRING DOCTORS TO GET A PARENT'S WRITTEN INFORMED CONSENT BEFORE VACCINATING A CHILD. THE GOAL WAS TO GIVE PARENTS MORE RIGHTS WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR KIDS