BOSTON -- A Team 5 Investigates review of Department of Public Health records finds the number of parents seeking exemptions for immunizations has been steadily rising. The number is growing despite a declining number of kindergarten students over the past decade.

The number of exemptions was .77 percent in 1998 and is now 1.3 percent. Religious exemptions have more than doubled in the past decade.

"I think it's horrible," said Dr. John Cohen, a pediatrician and staunch supporter of vaccination. "There's no religion in this world that says you shouldn't immunize your child."

The state allows medical and religious exemptions but some parents admit they really have a philosophical opposition. Some believe vaccines can cause autism or are simply unnecessary. Team 5 Investigates has reported on Web sites that show those parents how to apply for religious exemptions.

"It always concerns me when children don't get immunized," said Dr. Alfred DeMaria, director of Communicable Disease Control at the Department of Public Health. "I think it should be ideally 100 percent. The most important thing is to get as close to universal immunization as you can get to get what we call herd immunity."

Team 5 Investigates has reported extensively on this issue. Just last month New York City health officials issued an alert after 11 children developed the measles. Almost all the cases involved unvaccinated children.

DeMaria said there has not been a situation like that in Massachusetts and added that the number of exemptions here aren't high enough to compromise public health.

In the fall, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is expected to release an H1N1 vaccine. Pregnant women and children will be at the top of the priority list.

"We want parents to cooperate," said DeMaria. "I'm hoping they will see the wisdom of protecting their children against pandemic influenza."

The state will not require children to get the H1N1 vaccine, but if a lot of parents opt out, Cohen said your children could be at risk.

"Those kids are more apt to get the disease therefore more apt to spread it therefore more apt to get your child in trouble," said Cohen.