Kindergarten Vaccine Exemption Rate on the Rise: Health Officials and Parents Concerned
As the new school year begins, there is a growing trend that has health officials and parents raising concerns. The kindergarten vaccine exemption rate continues to climb as more and more parents opt out of getting their little ones vaccinated.
“[My wife and I] are both very excited that the kids are back to school,” says Raphael Washington, a father of four.
As kids head back to the classroom, so do their germs. This is something Washington knows all too well.
“Whenever a child has two symptoms or more [at school], we are notified via email or phone call,” Washington said.
To prevent these notifications, Washington and his wife work together to ensure their kids are up to date on their vaccines.
“Especially with my children being around so many other children, not only do I want to protect my children, but I also want to help protect the community,” he said.
However, according to the CDC, more and more parents are opting out of vaccinating their kindergartners.
“My opinion is that during COVID, we had too much input from politicians and too much political discussion and roping vaccines into that,” said Dr. Dennis Cunningham, the System Medical Director of Infection Prevention at Henry Ford Health.
Cunningham, a pediatrician, encourages parents with vaccine hesitancy to ask questions.
“I always want parents to ask,” he said. “We may not have the same thoughts on what they should do, but I feel good if I’ve at least had a discussion, answered questions, and hopefully provided some nonbiased information.”
The CDC estimates suggest the nationwide median rate of kindergartners with vaccine exemptions nearly doubled between the school years ending in 2012 and 2022.
Last year in Michigan, immunization waiver rates increased in all grades with reporting requirements.
“I’ve seen some of these kids get super sick. Some die from vaccine-preventable diseases,” Cunningham said. “Will that happen to everybody? No, but to me, that’s a risk that I certainly wouldn’t want for my kid.”