MACOMB – The McDonough County Health Department will hold a Back-to-School Vaccination Clinic Wednesday, July 16 at its 505 E. Jackson St. office.
The clinic will be held from 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Appointments can be made by calling (309) 837-9951, ext. 2270. The clinic is intended for students in grades K-12, and will offer the vaccines that are required for school enrollment/ attendance. Vaccines will be billed to insurance and/or provided at minimal cost for those without insurance.
As of June 19, 2025, there have been 1,214 confirmed measles cases reported in the U.S., which includes 23 outbreaks across 36 jurisdictions. Pertussis (aka whooping cough) is also a vaccine-preventable illness that has seen large increases in the community, with many cases in area schools recently, noted health department officials, who, along with health officials throughout the nation, have expressed concern over lagging vaccination rates, the growing cases of once-eradicated childhood diseases and the threat of another pandemic.
'Vaccines are the safest, and most effective way to provide protection to a person and their family. It is very important that children and adults get all vaccinations recommended for their age,' said Chris Adams, director of the MCHD, told the Community News Brief in an earlier story. 'Most people vaccinated with MMR (mumps-measles-rubella) will be protected for life; however, adults who meet age requirements, lack documentation of vaccination or lack evidence of immunity may require an MMR vaccine and should consult their primary care provider to determine if they need a new MMR vaccine.'
Guidelines regarding vaccinations and immunizations can be found at the Centers for Disease Control at cdc.gov/vaccines. Vaccine schedules and additional information are also provided on the CDC site.
In rhetoric surrounding vaccines and outbreaks, the term 'herd immunity' is often used as reasoning for not vaccinating. Herd immunity is defined, per the Mayo Clinic, as 'the name for a point in time when it's hard for a disease to spread through a group of people.
The idea of herd immunity works for some diseases, such as measles. But it's a harder concept to apply to illnesses like coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).'
'Reluctance to vaccinate only weakens heard immunity,' Adams stressed.
'To understand herd immunity, a person must understand that it can only work if random mixing is occurring with vaccinated people. Acquiring immunity through disease takes time to happen and will not provide protection to the susceptible populations within a community.'
Niki Duffy, emergency response coordinator and public information officer at the health department, added that getting infected with a vaccine-preventable illness does offer limited post-infection immunity; however, being infected with an illness comes with severe risks that are not associated with the safely-tested and approved vaccinations.
With an outspoken opponent of vaccines leading the nation's health department, along with celebrities who are anti-vax advocates, the myths surrounding vaccines, such as childhood vaccines contribute to, or cause, autism, or can severely impact, or cause, long-term health issues, further muddy the vaccination waters, Adams and Duffy pointed out.
According to Duffy, the doctor behind the study linking vaccine to autism was found to be so reckless in his promotion of the flawed study and irresponsibility within the study itself that his medical license has been revoked.
'Vaccine research, oversight and administration are conducted by individuals and agencies that have spent years in study and research seeking to improve health outcomes and provide the safest means possible to prevent death and disease,' she further noted. 'Vaccines undergo rigorous testing and study before being approved for use and even after approval is granted, vaccines are monitored for continued safety.'
Additionally, adverse events related to vaccines are tracked in real-time by VAERS (Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System). Adverse events related to vaccine can be reported by healthcare providers and individuals can be found at vaers.hhs.gov.
According to local pediatrician Dr. Mary Kathleen Lockard, in order for measles not to spread in a community, almost everyone needs to be vaccinated. Measles is extremely contagious, and lingers in the air long after the infected person has left the area, she explained.
Lockard acknowledged that parents typically want the best for their children; however, social media has facilitated the spread of incorrect information, making it difficult for parents and guardians to know what to believe. Many social media posts that put forth incorrect information use 'fancy-sounding, medical- sounding and scientific sounding language, she added.
'It sounds scary and confuses people, and then families feel like it's easier to decline something they don’t understand (vaccines) than it is to actively make a decision to vaccinate,' Lockard pointed out. 'We vaccinate because we know it's safe and effective. The illnesses we vaccinate against are often fast-developing and they overwhelm the immune system before we can fight them. If you and your family are fully vaccinated, you can be secure in the knowledge that you have done everything you can to protect yourselves and others who are too young or too sick to be vaccinated.'
