As students prepare for their summer break, parents are being reminded to start planning for the next school year.
- Local health officials say these updates align with longstanding recommendations from the CDC and are part of the preparations for the 2024-2025 school year.
- Local health officials say hope these updates will boost vaccination rates, which are currently below the state average in some areas.
- "Meningitis is horrible, so probably not a terrible idea to have a shot for it if you can, right?" said Ezra Hill, parent.
The Wisconsin Department of Health has announced updated immunization requirements for schools and childcare centers, which means children may need a few more shots before school starts in the fall.
Effective immediately, the new requirements include mandatory meningitis vaccinations for seventh graders, with a booster dose required for twelfth graders. Additionally, any chickenpox infection must be documented by a medical professional, as parental reports of chickenpox will no longer be accepted as an exemption from the varicella vaccine.
Lily Wagner, nursing supervisor at Outagamie County Public Health, explains, "This means for parents is that they need to talk with their providers in order to get that approval,” she says. “That’s a big change.”
These updates align with longstanding recommendations from the CDC, and exemptions for medical, religious, or philosophical reasons remain unchanged.
Local health officials hope these updates will boost vaccination rates, which are currently below the state average in some areas. The state vaccination rate is 89.9%, but Outagamie County's rate is only 76%, and Brown County's rate is 74%.
Wagner says vaccination rates are all-inclusive.
“It kind of compounds. Where we could be doing good and our varicella rate, but overall, we're not doing good because one kid didn't get MMR, or one kid didn't get their tetanus vaccine. It all compounds to show an overall really low rate.”
Parents like Ezra Hill from Appleton seem ready to comply with the new requirements.
"Meningitis is horrible, so probably not a terrible idea to have a shot for it if you can, right?" he says.
While parents are prepared to follow the recommendations, children may not be as enthusiastic. Hill’s son, although reluctant, acknowledges the necessity, saying, "I don't like getting shots, but I mean, I could."
His Kristal Hill adds, "We could take it. Yeah, probably better than chickenpox."
For parents in Outagamie County needing more information on their child's immunization or health records, details can be found HERE. Or for all Wisconsin Parents and Guardians, children’s health record information can be found on the Wisconsin Immunization Registry by clicking HERE.
These changes are part of the preparations for the 2024-2025 school year, aiming to ensure the health and safety of students across Wisconsin.
