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Fewer Michigan Parents Requesting Vaccination Waivers

LANSING (WWJ/AP) - State officials say a change in Michigan's vaccination policy has significantly decreased the rate of schoolchildren receiving immunization waivers.

Preliminary numbers released by the state Thursday show a 39 percent drop in vaccine exemptions statewide since last school year - nearly 8,000 fewer waiver requests.

The rule, which took effect a year ago, requires parents wanting a nonmedical immunization waiver to first be educated by a local health department about the risks of not being vaccinated. Parents previously could file a philosophical or religious waiver without such a meeting.

Michigan had the country's sixth-highest percentage of kindergarteners — 5.3 percent — exempted from at least one vaccine in the last academic year. All kindergarteners, seventh-graders and new students must be up to date on certain immunizations or have a waiver.

"By ensuring that parents have the opportunity to address and discuss concerns with their local health department, we're providing parents with knowledge they can use when making a decision about vaccinating their child," said Nick Lyon, director of the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, in a media release. "Michigan's local health departments have been instrumental in working with and educating parents who have had concerns about vaccines and I applaud them for their understanding, assistance and dedication."

Worried about families who are opting out, doctors in Michigan have stressed the importance of vaccines — which they say protect kids from deadly, preventable diseases and protect families from the heartbreak of losing a child. And, despite claims by celebrities and misinformation on the Internet, doctors say vaccines are safe and any link between immunizations and autism has been debunked.

 

TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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