OCCHD Pushes For Students To Get Preventable Disease Vaccinations

School is set to start next week. While the COVID-19 vaccine has been on everyone’s mind, there are some other vaccinations your children may need before starting classes. 

The CDC says they have seen a 14% drop in public vaccinations compared to 2019. They say measles vaccinations have decreased by 20%. 

"Here in the United States, we don't have outbreaks of polio anymore, other countries do because of lower vaccination rates," said Anissa Lynch, a public health nurse with OCCHD. 

Most schools require certain vaccinations for in-person learning, so if your child has missed out, now is a good time to catch up. 

These vaccines protect students from diseases like whooping cough, tetanus and chickenpox, just to name a few. 

"It also protects the general population. If everyone is vaccinated, or a good percentage of the population is vaccinated, you are not going to have comebacks of certain diseases," said Lynch. 

The CDC says getting vaccines on schedule throughout childhood is essential because it helps provide immunity before children are exposed to potentially life-threatening diseases.  

The CDC says vaccines are tested to ensure that they are safe and effective for children to receive at the recommended ages. 

For people who qualify you can get these vaccines for children at no cost. You can see if you qualify by clicking here.