Parents of children without the full slate of vaccinations should soon be notified that their child needs to be vaccinated or receive an exemption from state requirements.

Last year, Deschutes County sent out 866 letters to parents reminding them that some school-required vaccines were missing or there was no recorded vaccine information on file for their child. During the same school year, 12 students were later barred from attending school until the records were updated, according to the Deschutes County Health Services records.

Each year, schools and health officials cull through vaccination records and remind parents that exclusion day is Feb. 19. Oregon law requires that all children who attend public and private schools, preschools and Head Start programs must provide documentation that shows they have received the required vaccinations or filed for an exemption.

Oregon’s kindergarten vaccination rates in 2024 fell to 86%, compared to the year before when the statewide kindergarten vaccination rate was 87.1%, according to the Oregon Health Authority‘s website. In Deschutes County, the kindergarten vaccination rate was 85.8% in 2024. In Crook County it was 86.5% for the same year and in Jefferson County it was 88%, according to the health authority.

“Vaccines play a very crucial role in pediatrics,” said St. Charles Health System Dr. Rebecca Jennings, a pediatrician. “Vaccines vaccinate against diseases and they lower the chance of hospitalizations and death, in rare occasions. If you’re unvaccinated, you are relying on others who are vaccinated to protect you.”

Whooping cough —a respiratory infection — is one disease in particular that can affect newborns who cannot get fully vaccinated until they are at least two months old, Jennings said.

The vaccine’s effectiveness wanes over time and lasts about five to 10 years, Jennings said.

In Oregon, there were 176 cases of whooping cough in 2024, according to the health authority. Deschutes County saw 60 cases last year.

Health officials say that since the pandemic, more parents are questioning vaccinations.

“I see parents are following their own vaccine schedule and not following the timetable set by the CDC,” said Sarah Van Meter, Deschutes County Health Services immunization program coordinator. “Vaccines work so well. I can’t stress enough the importance of protecting children from these diseases with vaccines.”

Oregon had an all time high of non-medical exemptions filed in 2024 for kindergarteners, Van Meter said. In 2024, 8.8% of all exemptions statewide were for non-medical reasons. In 2023, the non-medical vaccination rate was 8.1%, according to the health authority.

In Deschutes County, the non-medical exemption rate for kindergarteners was 10.4% in 2024, according to health authority data. Jefferson County experienced a 3.6% non-medical exemption rate and in Crook County 4.6% of the kindergarteners received a non-medical exemption.

Health workers cull through reports and send letters to parents by Feb. 5 to alert them about incomplete or missing vaccine data. Parents have until Feb. 19 to get the records up to date or the child cannot attend school.

The county offers free vaccines to residents. Call (541) 322-7499 to make an appointment. For a list of state required vaccinations, visit the Oregon Health Authority’s website.

Resources for parents

The county offers free vaccines to residents by appointment only by calling (541) 322-7499. For a list of state required vaccinations, go to the Oregon Health Authority‘s website.