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Michigan health officials are concerned about the state’s declining childhood vaccination rates.
About 66.5% of children age 19 months to 3 years olds are up to date on their recommended vaccines for diseases like diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough; polio; measles, mumps and rubella; hepatitis B; haemophilus influenzae type b, which can cause meningitis; chicken pox; and pneumococcal disease, according to the latest registry data.
Michigan’s rates as of June 2023 are the lowest since 2011. They had been above 70% for much of the last decade, including 75% in 2017, until a decline during the COVID-19 pandemic.
“We had made great strides getting our rates up and we’re seeing an undoing of those great efforts,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, Michigan’s chief medical executive and an infectious disease physician. “We’re now seeing rates that are low enough to really start concern for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases.”
Of the state’s 83 counties, 52 of them have immunization rates below 70%, which is a common minimum baseline used by public health officials to reduce risk of preventable disease outbreaks. Higher rates further reduce the likelihood of community spread, which helps protect the most vulnerable populations.
Michigan’s 10 communities with the lowest vaccination rates for children 19 months to 3 years old include:
- Oscoda County (36.5%)
- Keweenaw County (50%)
- City of Detroit (51.2%)
- Clare County (52.9%)
- Houghton County (53.9%)
- Lake County (55.1%)
- Gladwin County (56.7%)
- St. Joseph County (58.9%)
- Sanilac County (59.9%)
- Lapeer County (60.5%)
Meanwhile, the 10 communities with the highest rates include:
- Ontonagon County (81.6%)
- Midland County (77.5%)
- Kent County (77%)
- Bay County (76.9%)
- Leelanau County (76.8%)
- Allegan County (76.4%)
- Huron County (76.3%)
- Dickinson County (75.6%)
- Charlevoix County (75.5%)
- Clinton County (75.4%)
The coronavirus pandemic was blamed for some of the reduction in vaccination rates in recent years. Related shutdowns delayed routine visits for children to see their primary care physicians and then caused longer wait times to get an appointment when offices reopened.
Also deserving some blame, Bagdasarian said, was the spread of misinformation during the pandemic. Skepticism from politicians and other community voices about the safety and efficacy of new vaccines developed to protect against COVID-19 may have contributed to mistrust against longstanding vaccines that have been recommended by health experts for decades.
“It’s possible that with all the negative rhetoric and all of the politicization about COVID vaccines that some of that spilled over onto our routine childhood immunizations,” she said.
“All of our vaccines that are recommended are recommended for a reason. The benefits outweigh any potential risk or side effects. They’ve all been through scientific rigor and regulatory approval.”
Veronica McNally is the founder of the Franny Strong Foundation, which promotes education and awareness for vaccine-preventable diseases. During a Thursday, Aug. 17, media roundtable about vaccination rates, she referenced national survey data that indicated no significant increase in overall vaccine hesitancy since the pandemic.
Colleen Hall-Young, a nurse practitioner who works in Pontiac Middle School, said she’s also found that parents are generally accepting of school entry immunizations, even if they have a hesitancy for vaccines for COVID-19, influenza and HPV. She said often times parents just aren’t aware their children are due for their shots.
Health officials encourage parents to make sure their children are caught up on their recommended vaccines, and to speak with a trusted physician or contact their local health department if they have concerns about immunization. Likewise, physicians are encouraged to approach the topic with their patients to remind them of recommended schedules and discuss any worries.
The state also recommends visiting its immunization website and searching school building-specific vaccination data to better gauge your child’s risk of communicable diseases.
“As adults living in a state like Michigan, we’ve grown up not having to worry about outbreaks of measles or mumps or cases of polio,” Bagdasarian said. “It would be a disservice to future generations, to our children and our grandchildren, if we put them in a position to start worrying about diseases that we haven’t for decades.”
Vaccines are available through primary care physicians, local health departments, and some pharmacies.