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The state is urging parents to make sure their children are up to date on their shots.
Dr. Nicholas Haddad, an infection disease expert at Central Michigan University, said it’s important children are being fully vaccinated.
“I look at it this way: A vaccine today is a safe step that would prevent a serious disease condition tomorrow,” Haddad said.
Since the pandemic, there has been a steady decline in routine childhood vaccinations. According to data from the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR), as of December 2023, only 66.4 percent of Michigan children 19- to 35-months-old were up to date on recommended vaccines.
“In Michigan alone, over the past couple of years, there has been a 33 percent drop in the full immunizations. So, less than 33 percent of kids have not received either one or their full immunization,” Haddad said.
He calls the downward trend alarming. Vaccinating children on time according to the recommended childhood immunization schedule is the best protection against diseases like measles, hepatitis A, whooping cough and influenza.
With the growing number of measles cases nationwide and around the globe, now is a perfect time to make sure you and your family are protected, especially for those 2-years-old and younger.
“These are the most vulnerable,” Haddad said. “These are the ones we need to improve on the immunity. Vaccinate them, immunize them, so that they do not get any serious diseases during childhood or later on.”
Haddad said if vaccine rates don’t get back on track, preventable disease numbers will only rise among this generation of children.