KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that childhood vaccination rates in Kansas and Missouri are lagging behind the U.S. as a whole.
The Kansas City Area Health Department is urging parents to get their children vaccinated in preparation for the new school year.
The back-to-school to-do list includes backpacks, school supplies, learning new school bus routes, meeting new teachers, and more, but there's one more item that must be checked off the list: getting vaccinated.
Kansas City-area student Luis Valencia Bravo has big plans for returning to school.
“Basketball, football, track and field, new classes and seeing friends,” he said.
But Valencia Bravo knew he had to do a little research and paperwork first.
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Johnson County Department of Health and Environment officials are focused on keeping students in school and continuing to learn, and have added several new walk-in clinics available for families.
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“We want our kids to be healthy and stay in school, so we want to make sure that vaccines prevent illnesses and prevent absences,” said Stacey Province, director of health services for JCDHE.
Marianna Montoya and her daughter, Itzel, said vaccination clinics are also part of their late-summer routine.
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“My daughter was really nervous, but I tried to prepare her,” Montoya said. “Once July and August rolled around, things started to get hectic with vaccines, school supplies, back-to-school clothes, etc.”
In response to a resurgence of measles, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services set a goal of 95% vaccination coverage for kindergarten children, but the U.S. is falling short of that goal, at 93%, according to department data.
The same data shows Kansas and Missouri have even lower vaccination rates, both below 92%.
The state government said additional vaccination clinics the department is setting up are helping improve the situation.
“This year, if you compare July 2023 to July 2024, we saw 120 more patients in July than we did last year and administered 259 more vaccines,” she said. “I definitely think it's working, and I think it's helping.”
She encourages parents to do their own research from trusted sources or by calling their county health department.
“The focus needs to be on education and helping to answer any questions parents and guardians may have,” she said.
The state government says the education also covers additional changes to vaccinations in recent years.
“All school-age children are required to receive two doses of the Hepatitis A vaccine,” she said.
We focus on accessibility, flexible appointment times, and offering translation services.
“We try to make it as accessible as possible,” she said.
For a list of recommended vaccination schedules, click here.
For a list of vaccine requirements in Kansas and Missouri, click here.
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KSHB 41 reporter Megan Abundis covers Kansas City, Missouri, and areas south of the area. Share your story ideas with Megan.
