LANSING, Mich. (WOWO) — The percentage of Michigan schoolchildren whose families requested vaccine waivers has reached its highest level since 2010, according to data from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

The overall rate of vaccine exemptions is now just above 7%, nearly a full percentage point higher than a year ago and almost four percentage points higher than it was in 2020.

The increase was particularly pronounced among kindergarten students, with parents of nearly 8% of kindergarteners requesting vaccine waivers this year. The waiver rate for seventh graders was lower, while increases also were reported among students entering the Michigan school system for the first time.

Michigan schools are required to report immunization information for kindergarten students, seventh graders and new entrants.

The exemption rate among kindergarten and seventh-grade students has increased for five consecutive years, reaching its highest point since 2010.

Megan Petzko-Sweet, director of the Michigan for Vaccines Coalition, said the numbers are concerning because vaccination can help protect both vaccinated people and others in school communities.

“We want to protect our friends who are at school and our teachers who are there. One of the ways we can do that is by being vaccinated for vaccine-preventable diseases, which we know can be fatal for even healthy folks,” Petzko-Sweet said.

Petzko-Sweet also pointed to misinformation circulating online as a factor she believes has affected how some families view vaccines and their effectiveness.

She encouraged parents who have questions about vaccines to discuss those concerns with medical professionals.

“When I, as a parent, have questions about anything related to medical issues, I talk to my nurse practitioner, my doctor,” Petzko-Sweet said.

Peter Gulick, a professor of medicine at Michigan State University, said vaccination levels within a community can affect how easily infectious diseases spread.

“Even if a couple aren’t vaccinated, they’ll still be protected because they won’t have the exposure risk. But if you have a large population that is unvaccinated, then it just goes from one person to another to another,” Gulick said.

Gulick said higher numbers of unvaccinated people can also increase the risk of transmission to people who may be more vulnerable to serious illness, including infants and older adults.

The rise in waivers comes as Michigan continues to monitor vaccine-preventable illnesses.

Michigan for Vaccine Choice, which supports parents’ ability to make decisions about vaccines, said families seek waivers for a range of reasons, including previous reactions and family medical history.

“Families want to weigh benefits and risks for their own child before consenting to a medical intervention. Informed consent depends on that ability to choose,” the organization said.

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services said the combination of increasing vaccine waiver rates and a resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases is concerning.

The department specifically cited measles, mumps and pertussis among the diseases of concern and urged Michigan families to keep themselves and their children up to date on vaccinations while following evidence-based medical guidance.

“The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is concerned about the resurgence of measles, mumps, pertussis and other preventable diseases combined with an increase in vaccine waivers among school children,” a department spokesperson told News 10.

The department said vaccines have played a major role in preventing and controlling infectious diseases and reducing childhood illnesses and fatalities. It also said school vaccination requirements are intended to maintain high vaccination coverage and protect students and communities from vaccine-preventable diseases.

The latest figures show Michigan’s overall school vaccine waiver rate has risen to just over 7%, with kindergarten requests approaching 8% and the statewide rate reaching its highest level in more than a