This guy really knows how to take a firm stand on the issues.
This. Buttigieg is a smart guy. He intentionally included "personal" exemptions. Personal exemptions are the primary reason anti-vaxxers use, because most states have cracked down on religious exception abuse.
The vast majority of anti-vaxxers are high-income, secular, progressives. Almost every story about major breakouts is in either a upper middle class neighborhood in a liberal mecca, or in a toney private school.
Other groups opposing vaccinations are low-income, low-education, progressives, who buy into conspiracy theories--often first or second generation immigrants who have a strong distrust of government.
Both of these groups are reliable Democrat voting blocks.
Buttigieg knows he can say this, then issue a modified statement to appease the general population and never be challenged by the mainstream media (because he is a Democrat).
A Republican is never given a mulligan over a stupid or controversial statement. Instead the mainstream media hangs the comment around the neck of the Republican like an albatross.
Trump's comments regarding vaccinations are still being written about three years after he said them.