“A choice to vaccinate is not just a personal choice, it’s a choice to protect an entire community,” said Dr. Joneigh Khaldun, the chief medical executive of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS).
The MDHHS gathered representatives to discuss immunizations at a press conference Monday morning. The group spoke at Whitehills Elementary School in East Lansing.
The conference featured speakers from Michigan public health offices, vaccination campaign leaders and school representatives.
Khaldun opened the event, stating that routine vaccination rates have dropped among all age levels – falling below 70 percent in more than half the state. This number means more children and teens could contract serious, preventable diseases, she said.
She discussed CDC statistics, that in children born from 1994 to 2013, vaccinations will prevent an estimated 322 million illness, 21 million hospitalizations and 732,000 deaths over the course of those children’s lifetimes.
“As we have seen with COVID-19 across the entire country, when an area has lower vaccination rates, it creates an environment where diseases can spread -- and all it takes is one infected individual,” Khaldun said.
The representatives hoped their message will reach Michigan residents prior to the fall semester.
“As families, students, teachers and administrators prepare for this upcoming schoolyear, I urge every parent to make sure their child is up-to-date on all their vaccinations,” she said, “And if they’re over the age of 12, they should get their COVID-19 vaccine, too.”
The latest data shows about 64 percent of people over the age of 16 have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Veronica Valentine McNally, founder of the Franny Strong Foundation, was next to the podium.
McNally lost her child to vaccine-preventable disease in 2012.
“I think we all understand now that spread can start with one person. We simply cannot afford another outbreak,” she said, “I vaccinate to protect my children and yours.”
More information on immunizations can be found on the MDHHS website here.
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