Report sheds light on school immunization rates

CEDAR RAPIDS — At least 90 percent of students at the majority of public schools in Linn and Johnson counties have received all of the required vaccinations, according to a new Iowa Department of Public Health report.

However, no school in either county hit a 100 percent rate — a feat only 37 schools across the state achieved.

The report is a snapshot in time, said Dr. Patricia Quinlisk, Medical Director of the Iowa Department of Public Health. She added that it is the first time the health department has made the data available.

'We were getting all of these questions,' she said. 'I think we may put it out every year.'

The report includes audit records of public schools for the 2013-2014 school year. It calculates vaccination percentages by dividing the number of valid certificates of immunization by a school's total enrollment.

Vaccination rates were not calculated for schools with fewer than 100 students.

Quinlisk noted that the audit records may be an underestimate, as some students are offered provisionals, given to transfer students or students who have received at least one dose of each of the required vaccines.

She was also cautious to pinpoint an optimal vaccination rate, instead commenting that the public health department believes 'the best thing is for every child to be fully vaccinated with every vaccine they can medically get.'

Low Percentages

Fairfield's Maharishi School of the Age of Enlightenment had the lowest percentage of vaccinated students in the state, according to the report, with only 47.19 percent of students receiving all recommended vaccinations.

Database: Immunization rates for schools near you

Click to see a database of immunization rates for more than 1,300 schools in Iowa.

A Gazette analysis of the report found several area schools were among the 15 schools with the lowest immunization percentages. Seven of those 15 had a religious affiliation. Washington Township Elementary School in Kalona had the lowest rate in Johnson County, with only 64.53 percent of students receiving all of the recommended vaccinations. The report shows that only 242 of its 375 students have valid certificates of immunization.

There were four schools in Linn County that had a vaccination rate below 80 percent: All Saints School (74.88 percent), Cedar Valley Christian School (72.78 percent), Marion High School (78.1 percent) and Trinity Lutheran School (78.42 percent).

Additionally, roughly 75 percent of students at the Blessed Maria Assunta Palotta Middle School in Black Hawk County and 66 percent of students at Seton Catholic Elementary School in Dubuque County were vaccinated.

Quinlisk said more and more students are submitting religious exemptions forms across the state.

A separate state report shows that religious exemptions are on the rise as well. The 2014 immunization report, which has data from 2012-2013 school year, shows there were 277 religious exemptions in Johnson County and 479 in Linn County. This is up from the 2009-2010 school year, where there were 160 religious exemptions in Johnson County and 376 in Linn County.

Johnson County Public Health Director Doug Beardsley said in January that he believes some parents are abusing this exemption because to obtain approval, parents must only have a signed and notarized form.