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Please, vaccinate your youth

This story appeared in The Alpena News. Read more here.

With the start of the 2021-22 school year just a few short weeks away, less than a quarter of Northeast Michigan’s young people eligible for a coronavirus vaccination have received one, News staff writer Crystal Nelson reported.

That concerns us.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and U.S. Food and Drug Administration have confirmed COVID-19 shots are safe and effective for kids at least 12 years old. Though some kids have developed complications after receiving the vaccine, the risks of contracting COVID-19 outweigh the risks associated with the vaccine, public health officials say.

The same is true for other regular vaccinations students should receive, such as the measles vaccine.

Failure to inoculate our kids can put other kids at risk, as we saw in the 2019 outbreaks of measles in Southeast Michigan.

We understand many parents’ reservations about vaccinating their children, both against the coronavirus and other ailments.

But the science is clear: Vaccines are safe and effective, and we urge anyone with a child eligible to receive the vaccine to protect their kids and their kids’ classmates.

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You’ve got questions. That’s a good thing.

As parents, determining how best to protect our children can be overwhelming and confusing. We’re here to help.

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About I Vaccinate

I Vaccinate provides information and tools based on real medical science and research to help Michigan parents protect their kids. Support is provided by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and the Franny Strong Foundation.

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You’ve got questions. That’s a good thing.

As parents, determining how best to protect our children can be overwhelming and confusing. We’re here to help.

©2025 Franny Strong Foundation | All rights reserved

Recommended Immunization Schedules

These schedules list the age or age range when each vaccine or series of shots is recommended by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). If your child (birth through 6 years old) or adolescent (age 7 through 18 years old) has missed any shots, talk to your child’s doctor about getting back on track.

Michigan School & Childcare Immunization Requirements

Request your child’s immunization record

The Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR), is an immunization registry managed by MDHHS and reported to by immunization providers. MCIR allows healthcare providers or individuals to access their immunization records regardless of their location in Michigan. This system also helps to track local and state immunization rates of Michigan residents to ensure immunity to vaccine-preventable illnesses. MCIR is a lifespan registry that includes infant through adult records.

For your appointment

Before, during, and after pregnancy protection
When you’re pregnant, you share everything with your baby. That means when you get vaccines, you aren’t just protecting yourself — you are giving your baby some early protection, too. The CDC has guidelines for the vaccines you and your baby need before, during, and after pregnancy.
From the CDC

Get prepared: Before, during, and after your child’s appointment
There are things you can do before, during and after your child’s appointment to make them easier and less stressful for both of you.
From the CDC

Mobile app from the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
The Vaccine Education Center at the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia created a free mobile app called Vaccines on the Go: What You Should Know so you can access credible, science-based information from wherever and whenever you need it.

Find your local Michigan public health department or immunization clinic
See the directory of Michigan’s 45 local public health departments for more information on your child’s immunization record and where to get them vaccinated.

Other Vaccination Organizations & Advocates

Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
The Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia provides complete, up-to-date and reliable information about vaccines to parents and healthcare professionals.

Families Fighting Flu
Families Fighting Flu is a nonprofit on a mission to save lives and reduce hospitalizations by protecting children, families, and communities against influenza.

Vaccinate Your Family
Vaccinate Your Family, formerly known as Every Child By Two, is a non-profit organization that advocates for vaccinations.

Shot by Shot
Stories of Vaccine-Preventable Diseases is a collection of stories from people who have been touched by vaccine-preventable diseases.

Voices for Vaccines
Voices for Vaccines is a parent-led organization that supports and advocates for on-time vaccination and the reduction of vaccine-preventable disease.

 

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