Cowlitz County child immunization rates have declined following the start of pandemic but remain above the state average.
Last week, the Washington State Department of Health released updated data for the 2021-2022 school year, showing mostly stable vaccination rates statewide.
The numbers include vaccinations required for school and child care — like Hepatitis B, DTaP, Hib, Polio, PCV, MMR, varicella — and not the COVID-19 vaccine, which the state does not require for students.
Statewide, the vaccination completion rate of 91.7% is about the same as before the pandemic, but the rate of students out-of-compliance increased from 3.4% to 4.5%.
“Vaccines remain the single most important public health strategy for keeping communities safe from many communicable diseases that can lead to disability and death,” said Jamilia Sherls-Jones, director of the state Office of Immunization, in a statement. “We review vaccine data to monitor trends, identify opportunities for improving completion rates, and recognize gains.”
Last year, Cowlitz County’s K-12 vaccination completion rate declined to 93% following a pre-pandemic peak at 94.6% in the 2019-2020 school year, according to the data reported by school districts to the state Department of Health. Certain school districts saw larger declines in vaccination completion and compliance than others.
Castle Rock’s out-of-compliance rate jumped from 3.3% in 2019-2020 to 16.8% in 2020-2021 and 18.8% last year, which is 255 of 1,354 students.
Castle Rock Superintendent Ryan Greene said he does not know if the rate has changed because of the pandemic or other reasons. When new students enroll, they receive immunization paperwork, reviewed by the school nurse and nursing assistants, Greene said.
“There are things we have to do as state agency, and immunization is one of those,” he said. “Our No. 1 goal is to protect all the kids in the district. … Whether you are one side of fence or another, we still have to follow rules or guidelines.”
Toutle Lake also saw a large increase in out-of-compliance students from a pre-pandemic rate of 7.3% up to more than 20%, 143 of 700 students, in the last two school years.
Longview recorded a small increase in out-of-compliance last year, from 0.3% in 2019-2020 to 1.4%, 92 of 6,454 students.
Cowlitz County Health Officer Alan Melnick previously said the school district data should be taken with a grain of salt because the numbers are only updated at the start of each school year and don’t include homeschooled children.
A May 2022 report showed a statewide decline in routine vaccinations during the pandemic, particularly among children 19-months to 35-months-old. Cowlitz County followed a similar trend, with the largest decrease among babies and toddlers and a small bump in vaccination among teens.
To be enrolled in child care or preschool, children need certain vaccinations by 3 months, 5 months, 7 months, 16 months and 19 months, according to the Department of Health. Certain vaccines and boosters also are required before students enter kindergarten and before seventh grade. Students are not required to get a COVID-19 vaccine.
Parents can submit exemptions for medical, religious or personal/philosophical reasons. In 2019, the Legislature removed the personal or philosophical exemption for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine. Parents can still exempt their children from the MMR vaccine for medical or religious reasons. And all three exemptions apply for other vaccines.
Over the last five years, the amount of exemptions has decreased and the type has changed, following the 2019 law change. Statewide, the number of K-12 students with at least one personal exemption dropped from 3.7% in 2018-2019 to 2% last year. The number of religious exemptions increased during the same timeframe but remain below 1.5%.
Of the 3.5% of Washington students with exemptions last year, 2% were personal, 1.4% were religious, 0.7% were medical and 0.2% were religious membership.
A religious exemption is used when a parent or guardian has a religious belief against giving their child the vaccine. The religious membership exemption is is used when a parent or guardian belongs to a church or religious group that doesn’t allow medical treatment by health care providers. All exemptions except religious membership require a health care practitioner signature.
Cowlitz County’s exemption rates were about the same as the state’s, with 3.5% of students exempt, and of those 1.9% personal, 1.2% religious, 0.8% medical and 0.2% religious membership.
The state Department of Health recommends families and health care providers focus on getting children up to date on their vaccinations as soon as possible.
Washington state provides all recommended childhood vaccines at no cost to children through the age of 18. Medicaid and most other insurance providers cover children’s checkups at no cost.
