News Photo by Kayla Wikaryasz On Tuesday, Brad Wheelock, right, is seen administering a vaccine to Ashley Young, left, at The Drug Store in Alpena. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and District Health Department No. 4 encourage Michigan residents to stay up to date on their immunizations during National Immunization Awareness Month.

ALPENA — August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and District Health Department No. 4 (DHD4) encourage Michigan residents and community members to get vaccinated and stay up to date with their immunization records.

Kelly Girard, DHD4 nursing director, told The News that children should be vaccinated to protect them from “dangerous diseases that were once common causes of death and disability.”

Girard explained vaccinations can prevent the spread of disease to vulnerable populations who cannot receive vaccinations. Vaccines also prevent outbreaks of preventable diseases.

Immunizations also build “natural immunity safely,” according to Girard.

Girard stated that DHD4 promotes vaccinating individuals at all ages and offers immunization clinics in all four counties in the DHD4 coverage area — Alpena, Presque Isle, Montmorency, and Cheboygan counties.

DHD4 also provides vaccines to children who do not have adequate health insurance.

“The Vaccines For Children (VFC) program that we participate in helps to provide vaccines for those children in the community who are under insured or have no health insurance,” Girard said. “If you have any questions about vaccines, please reach out to our immunization nurses. You can call our offices to set up an appointment to receive vaccines.”

According to a MDHHS press release, more than 154 million lives were saved in 2024 through immunization efforts. Of that population, 146 million were under the age of 5.

“As families prepare for the new school year, it is the perfect time to ensure everyone is up to date on their routine vaccinations,” Dr. Natasha Bagdasarian, chief medical executive, said in the release. “Staying on schedule with immunizations protects against serious diseases like measles, hepatitis A, polio and HPV-related cancers.”

Bagdasarian added that whooping cough cases are at their highest since 2010 and measles cases are rising as well.

“And the U.S. is on track for the worst measles year since 1992,” Bagdasarian said in the release. “Talk to your health care provider, visit a local pharmacy, or contact your local health department for more information.”

The release states that the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) reported 68% of Michigan children 19 through 35 months of age were fully immunized with recommended vaccines, as of June 2025.

“This is a significant decrease from March 2019 when 73.5% of children in this age group were vaccinated,” the release states.

The press release states that Michigan residents and community members can check their vaccination status with a family doctor or contact their local health department.

To achieve community immunity against a disease, MDHHS explains that a high percentage of a community must be vaccinated. This percentage varies per disease and its contagiousness.

For example, in the release, MDHHS stated that a community has to be at 95% vaccinated to be “immune” to measles. For measles, individuals receive the MMR vaccine.

DHD4 recommends that adults born after 1957 should receive one dose of the MMR vaccine, as those born before 1957 have likely already had measles. Children should get two doses, one dose at 12-15 months and a second dose between 4-6 years.

In Alpena County, for MMR vaccinations, 81.2% of children 19 through 35 months are vaccinated; 90.2% of children 13 to 17 years old are vaccinated. The county ranks 12th out of 84 counties in the state of Michigan for this vaccine for both age groups.

Kayla Wikaryasz can be reached at 989-358-5688 or kwikaryasz@TheAlpenaNews.com.