Polk County's unvaccinated student rate has doubled in 4 years

Nearly 6% of Polk County's public school students were not fully vaccinated in the 2023-2024 school year, according to an audit by the county health department.

Why it matters: The rate of those missing some or all required vaccinations has nearly doubled in four years, leaving hundreds more children vulnerable to diseases that can physically disable or cause death, county officials said in a new public announcement video .

State of play: By law, students who are not fully immunized for certain diseases cannot start school unless they have an exemption or provisional certification promising compliance within 60 days.

• The first day of class at Des Moines Public Schools, the largest district in the state, is Monday.
• Most other county districts launched their new school year last week.

Zoom in: An increase in religious exemptions as well as a change to the vaccination audit schedule are driving the rates, Polk health officials said.

• Audits now occur a few weeks earlier, before immunizations for some students with provisional certificates can be completed, they explained.

The big picture: Eroding trust in public health agencies and a wave of anti-vaccine disinformation have likely contributed to the dip.

• National student vaccine coverage remained near its lowest levels in decades in the 2021-2022 school year, with roughly 7% of kindergarteners not fully vaccinated, per CDC data published late last year.
• The share of exemptions in Iowa was nearly 2.5% and has generally followed a growing national trend.

What they're saying: "If we don't continue to educate the community, educate against misinformation, we're going to continue to see that number rise," Susan Brooks, a health coordinator for Polk County Health Department (PCHD), says in the video.

Threat level: Some parts of the U.S. have recently experienced outbreaks of measles — a preventable disease that spreads fast and requires a lengthy quarantine for exposed patients.

• The CDC this year warned of an increase in bacterial illnesses that can lead to meningitis , which can cause death.

What's next: PCHD's next childhood immunization audits for the 2024-2025 school year will begin in the coming weeks.

• The department offers vaccine scheduling and assists those without insurance.