News
Put vaccinations on back-to-school list now with early starts
GRAND RAPIDS, MI - With more students in the state returning to class before Labor Day, health and school officials want families to include back-to-school vaccine appointments early on their checklist. Vaccines are required for school entry in Michigan. "Whenever...
Metro Detroit ‘hotspot’ for vaccination waivers
Growing numbers of parents choosing not to vaccinate their children for non-medical reasons are creating “hotspots” across the country and in Metro Detroit, increasing chances for outbreaks of measles or other diseases, health researchers say. Since 2009, the number...
It’s not too early to prep for back-to-school. Is your child up to date on vaccinations?
The beginning of the school year is a busy time--it’s not too early to start thinking about back-to-school immunizations (and the appointments and paperwork that go along with it)! Here are a few resources to help you protect your kids as they get ready to start a new...
New study shows Tdap vaccines for pregnant women reduces cases of whooping cough in infants
A new study documents a 75 percent reduction of pertussis hospitalizations among babies six months and under whose mothers got the Tdap immunization while pregnant. The study, published in the American Journal of Preventative Medicine, is the first to look at clinical...
Measles case confirmed in Portland, about 500 people possibly exposed
Multnomah County officials say approximately 500 people were exposed to a confirmed case of measles in the Portland area Wednesday. Of those 500 people, the Multnomah County Health Department Communicable Disease Services team is monitoring 40 people who were exposed...
Flu lasts for more than an hour in air and on surfaces
Vaccination against the flu is the best way to stop its spread, but a recent study suggests increasing air circulation and cleaning surfaces to remove the virus from the environment. Influenza, or flu, viruses cause about 200,000 hospitalizations every year in the...
Physicians say flu vaccine will be worth extra burden for parents
The city Health Department said last week that programs in place to defray the cost of flu shots make it feasible for all children ages 6 months old to 5 years old to be vaccinated by Dec. 31 to attend city-regulated child care or preschool. Several physicians told...
Man recently released from Shiawassee County Jail diagnosed with Hepatitis A
Officials are alerting the public after a man who was in the Shiawassee County Jail was later diagnosed with Hepatitis A. Shiawassee County Sheriff Brian Begole said a man who was recently released from the jail went to the hospital three days later and it was...
Second measles case identified in Michigan; health officials urge protection through vaccination
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) has confirmed a second case of measles in Michigan for 2018. This case is unrelated to Michigan’s first case which occurred in March. Both cases were the result of exposure outside of the country,...
Number of whooping cough cases rise in Calhoun County
The number of reported pertussis cases in Calhoun County has risen to 11 since county health officials announced an outbreak earlier this month. Health officials have confirmed nine of the cases of the disease, also known as whooping cough, and two are still probable,...