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Healthcare providers urge for students to get fully vaccinated before first day of school

Posted at 2:33 PM, Aug 18, 2016
and last updated 2016-08-18 14:33:05-04

It seems like more parents across Michigan are ensuring their children are vaccinated, and health care providers hope to see the trend continue this school year.

“When children are vaccinated, they are protected from preventable diseases,” said David M. Krhovsky, MD, president of the Michigan State Medical Society.  “Checking in with a child’s pediatrician should be on every parent’s radar as they prepare to send them back to school. Vaccinations don’t just keep immunized children safe—they help protect children who cannot safely be vaccinated from deadly diseases as well.”

According to a press release, the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services state that immunization waver rate numbers from the previous school year showed a drop of more than 35-percent in the last year.

“Parents don’t let their children leave the house for the first day of school without their backpacks and school supplies, and they shouldn’t send them to class without their immunizations, either,” said Dr. Eden Wells, chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services. “Michigan’s plummeting waiver rate is fantastic news for everyone in the state.  Thanks to parents across Michigan, a higher percentage of students are better protected than they were in the prior school year.”

Clinton County had a 55-percent decrease and Wayne County had a 53-percent decrease in their waver rates, according to the release.

“Communities in Michigan are much safer when everyone is up-to-date on their vaccines,” said Jon Gold, MD, FAAP of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Michigan Chapter. “When parents ensure that their children are fully vaccinated, they are not only protecting their own families from preventable diseases, but other families too.”