Vaccination rates for children are declining in Ohio and around the country. As kids are heading back to school, health officials are urging parents to buck the trend and ensure their kids have their shots.

Ohio Department of Health Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said vaccines are safe and effective, and yet there are thousands of kindergartners coming to school for the first time this month without protection against diseases that can be serious.

"In the 2019-2020 school year, 89.9% of the state's incoming kindergartners met all vaccine requirements," Vanderhoff said. "This past school year, the percentage of kindergartners who met all requirements was down to 85.4%, or a drop of nearly 4.5% over five years."

Ohio law requires K-12 public school students to have vaccinations against di

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