Michigan’s vaccine education requirement delivered measurable results in its first four years. School vaccination waiver rates dropped from 4.6% in 2014-2015 to a low of 2.7% in 2019—a 41% reduction representing thousands of additional vaccinated children. This decline followed the implementation of mandatory health department counseling sessions for parents seeking non-medical exemptions. The policy represented one of the most effective state-level interventions to increase school immunization compliance. However, data from 2023 reveals the fragility of this achievement. Current waiver rates stand at 4.2%, indicating substantial erosion of earlier gains. The reversal underscores how pandemic-era vaccine hesitancy can overwhelm even evidence-based educational interventions.
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