August was immunization awareness month in Utah, proclaimed by Gov. Spencer Cox. It's a yearly reminder of the importance of vaccinations for when school starts, but these vaccines remain critical throughout the year.
Young students are typically required to obtain these vaccinations because they make the school environment so much safer for all students. The Utah State Board of Education (USBE) has published a list of required vaccinations.
https://immunize.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/The-Utah-School-Immunization-Rule_042025.pdf
“Immunizations are so important for students because they prevent diseases that could be dangerous to students,” said Kim Lowe, a registered nurse and the school nurse supervisor for Alpine School District. “Vaccines are a safe and effective way to keep students and their families safe and healthy.”
She added that immunizations prevent diseases that could end someone’s life or cause serious complications that could affect them for the rest of their life.
At school, a student's safety is the absolute top priority. These vaccinations further assure that students will be protected while at school.
Not only do vaccines protect students from physical harm, but they also ensure that students are given the same opportunities to learn as their peers. If a vaccine-preventable disease breaks out in your child’s classroom, they could be excluded from school for up to twenty-one days. Avoiding this type of situation allows your student to thrive in the classroom and learn the extent of the material being taught. The learning environment for students will be less disrupted when they can focus solely on their classwork.
“If a vaccine-preventable disease breaks out in your child’s classroom, [they] could be excluded from school for up to twenty-one days,” said Lowe.
Having all students properly vaccinated according to the USBE rules will reduce the risk of prolonged absences.
Gov. Cox alluded to decreasing immunity as a public health threat.
“Achieving and maintaining high vaccination rates is critical to ensuring community immunity, especially against highly contagious diseases like measles, where coverage must reach 95% to prevent outbreaks,” read part of the proclamation.
The exemption rate for Utah’s in-person kindergarten students has increased dramatically since the pandemic, according to the Utah Department of Health and Human Services.
Last year nearly 8% of kindergartners had exemptions to one or more school required vaccines, up from the pre-pandemic average of 5%.
Overall, vaccinations will greatly improve students’ wellbeing. Students who go to school immunized from these potentially life-threatening illnesses are able to learn without contracting preventable diseases. They can focus on their education rather than being pulled from class and missing out on lessons that other students will gain knowledge from.
Vaccinations not only benefit those students who receive them, but all of the students and faculty in Alpine School District schools.