This article was posted on Upper Michigan Source. Read more here.
With the first day of school right around the corner, the state health department is urging families to check their vaccination status.
Some vaccines are required by law to attend school in Michigan. According to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Michigan students are required to receive 6 different vaccinations, although some students are allowed exemptions.
MDHHS says we need high vaccination rates since some kids cannot get vaccinated due to compromised immune systems.
“To protect those who are most vulnerable, and I’m talking about kids who have had organ transplants, kids on chemotherapy,” said Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, the State of Michigan’s Chief Medical Executive.
According to the state health department, in March of 2019, about 74% of Michigan children from ages 19 months to 35 months were fully immunized with the recommended vaccines. In March of 2024, that number dropped to about 67%, which they say is significant.
“These are really potentially life saving tools, these are tools that keep your child healthy.” said Dr. Bagdasarian.
As school starts next week in Webberville, their superintendent says district immunization rates have only changed slightly.
“We’ve seen vaccination rates go down a little bit. Probably not anything super significant. As a small district one or two kids can swing our rates, you know quite a lot more than they would in very large districts,” said Andrew Smith, the Webberville Community Schools Superintendent.
The state’s health department encourages families to talk with their health care provider, pharmacy, or local health department for more information on getting protected.
“(Since) we have virtually eliminated some of these diseases, people are less aware of how devastating these diseases can be,” Dr. Bagdasarian said.
Working to minimize the rates of cancers and diseases, one vaccine at a time.