Indicator: School-Age Immunization

 

Definition: Percent of children in grades k-12 with a personal exemption from immunizations.

Why is this important: Childhood immunizations have provided one of the greatest improvements in public health by controlling serious conditions such as measles, polio, diphtheria, and pertussis (whooping cough). Immunizing individual children also helps protect the health of those who cannot receive immunizations, such as infants or medically ill children. Childhood immunizations lower the risk of a disease circulating though the community, thus unvaccinated children are less likely to be exposed to the disease germs.

 

Where are we: During the 2009/10 school year in Spokane County, 7.3% of school-age children were not fully immunized due to having a personal exemption. The rate of personal exemptions significantly increased from 2004/05 to 2009/10. The personal exemption rate in Spokane County was significantly higher than that of Washington State in 2009/10.