Michigan's Childhood Vaccination Rates Drop

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) recently announced that immunization rates in the state of Michigan are at an historic low. As of June 2024, only 67.5% of children ages 19-36 months had completed the recommended doses of the primary childhood vaccine series. MDHHS also stated in more than half of the state, childhood vaccination rates dropped below 70%.

MDHHS reported:

• Statewide, the vast majority of school aged children (90%) assessed in 2023 were protected from vaccine-preventable diseases.
  • Overall waiver rates (5.7%) have risen to the highest level since 2013.
• However, protection from vaccine preventable diseases differs by school:
  • From 2015 to 2023, the number of Michigan middle schools with vaccination rates below 70%, more than doubled (from 48 to 110 schools).
  • The number of Michigan elementary schools with vaccination rates below 70% also increased from 2015 to 2023 (from 86 to 109 schools).
• Schools with low vaccination rates are at increased risks of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, like measles, mumps, rubella, and chickenpox, to name a few.
• These diseases can result in school disruptions and may be particularly dangerous for children with underlying health conditions that affect their immune systems.

Parents should get their kids caught up on vaccines as soon as possible.

To understand the risks of vaccine-preventable disease in your child’s school environment, you can download school vaccination data here.