UPPER PENINSULA, Mich. (WLUC) – Health experts are urging parents to make sure their children are up to date on vaccinations.
The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHSS) says the number of families vaccinating young children is declining.
In 2017, four Upper Peninsula counties had vaccination coverage rates below 70% for children ages 19-35 months.
Now, Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, MDHHS chief medical officer, says the county's numbers have doubled.
“This means that there are children in the state who are more vulnerable than others,” Bagdasarian said, “because of the communities they live in and because they have fewer opportunities to be vaccinated.”
Dr Bagdasarian said areas with low vaccination rates could become breeding grounds for diseases that were nearly eradicated.
Dr. Natalie Weeks, a family medicine physician with Aspirus Health, said not vaccinating your children puts them and the community you live in at risk.
“Vaccines not only protect children, they protect the whole community,” Weeks said, “especially for people who are immunocompromised or have a harder time fighting off infection.”
In early August, the FDA approved the latest version of the COVID-19 vaccine.
When it comes to other fall illnesses like COVID-19, Dr. Bagdasarian says parents should start thinking about these vaccines the same way they would think about colds and the flu.
“As time goes on, we're seeing more seasonality with COVID-19,” Baghdasarian said. “More patterns are emerging. This virus is more susceptible to transmission in cold, dry weather.”
Through the end of September, you can order up to four free tests at no charge at CovidTests.gov.
Copyright 2024 WLUC. All rights reserved.
