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Vaccine hesitancy is spreading in Ontario, the head of the Ontario Medical Association is warning.

While immunization rates remain relatively high in Ontario and across Canada, there has been an increase in the number of parents seeking non-medical exemptions from vaccinating their children before they can enter school in Ontario, said Dr. Sohail Gandhi, a family physician who heads the association that represents the province’s doctors. Doctors are also hearing more concerns about vaccines from patients.

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“Vaccines work, vaccines are safe and we need to try to ensure that every child gets immunized,” he said. “But I also know that vaccine hesitancy is on the rise in North America and we have been hearing more and more questions in our own offices.”

The trend is worrying health officials at a time when measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases are making deadly comebacks around the world. The United States came close to losing its measles exempt status this year after an ongoing outbreak.