The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services released what we view as a very disturbing statistic this week – chickenpox cases are on the rise in the state.

Health officials stressed the numbers still are preliminary, but it appears the number of cases from Jan. 1 through the end of April this year, compared to last, is up by 57 percent. This year through the end of April officials said there had been 239 cases statewide.

Given the fact that vaccines are available for children to prevent chickenpox, or at least minimize its effects, we find the number very concerning. Worse, health officials went on to say that in most every instance, the chickenpox case was to a child who had not been vaccinated.

Parents of children need to understand that chickenpox can be very serious to a young child. Depending on how severe the outbreak is, it could require hospitalization of the child and cause serious side effects and health complications for children.

We understand that some parents do not believe in vaccinations and are not having their children inoculated.

However, when statistics start showing an increase again in diseases that were all but eliminated decades ago because of vaccinations, it is cause for worry.

We would urge parents who have resisted vaccinating their children to at least reconsider their decision in light of this new information.