Before you register your kid in a public school, you have to show proof they’ve been vaccinated against diseases like measles and whooping cough. But parents can get vaccination waivers for medical, religious, or philosophical reasons, and an increasing number of Michigan parents are doing just that. Public health officials say that means preventable, but highly contagious, diseases are making a comeback.In 2012, the U.S. saw the highest rates of whooping cough since 1955. The Traverse City area has recently been hit with outbreaks of both measles and whooping cough.
Current State talks with Dr. Matthew Davis, Chief Medical Executive for the Michigan Department of Community Health, and Mark Largent, Associate Professor of Social Relations and Policy at Michigan State University and the author of “The Modern American Vaccine Debate”.