Wisconsin’s childhood vaccination rates lag those of other states

Wisconsin’s kindergartners had lower vaccination rates than other states last year, according to an October CDC report. This means they were less protected from infections such as whooping cough, tetanus, polio and measles.

“Our families and our communities are more vulnerable to diseases like measles,” said Stephanie Schauer, vaccination program manager for the Wisconsin State Department of Health Services.

The report found that 92.7 percent of kindergarten students nationwide have been vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella, or MMR, while in Wisconsin, 84.8 percent have been vaccinated.

Schauer said even a small percentage of unvaccinated children could increase the risk.

“I mean, that’s the population of Wisconsin kids for kindergarten,” she said. “Even a small change is a big change for children. There are too many children than we want to be unprotected.”

Overall, rates of recommended childhood vaccinations nationwide were down compared to the previous year. Schauer said the pandemic is one reason.

“We know that the impact of the pandemic has had a negative impact on childhood vaccinations,” she said. “And we are starting to see the children who were born just before (and) during the pandemic come to school.”

She said there could be many reasons for Wisconsin’s declining interest rates. First, states could calculate vaccination rates differently. But factors such as a lack of trust in vaccines, misinformation and disinformation, and a lack of access to clinics also likely contribute.

“These low vaccination rates are concerning, especially given that there are parts of the country with very low vaccination rates that are not protected from vaccine-preventable diseases,” Schauer said.

In September, the state health department reported a spike in whooping cough cases in Wisconsin and called for vaccination. More than ten times more cases were reported than in 2023.

Children can get vaccinated at the doctor’s office, pharmacy or at pop-up clinics. Services like the Vaccines for Children program can help eligible children receive vaccinations for free or at a reduced cost.

“The question of payment should not be part of the decision as to whether a child should be vaccinated or not,” said Schauer.