As students gear up to return to classrooms across Santa Clara County, health officials are sounding the alarm about an urgent vaccination challenge. With potential Medi-Cal funding cuts threatening healthcare access for nearly half a million residents, getting kids immunized has become critically important.

Dr. Sarah Rudman from the Santa Clara County Public Health Department is emphasizing the need for families to prioritize vaccinations. With approximately 89,953 socioeconomically disadvantaged students in the county, maintaining high immunization rates could be a lifeline for vulnerable populations.

Pediatric infectious disease specialist Dr. Vidya Mony warns that the stakes are high. “Currently, our country is experiencing the largest measles outbreak in three decades,” she explains. California state law requires students from transitional kindergarten through 12th grade to be immunized against several diseases, including diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, and measles.

The potential Medi-Cal funding cuts could dramatically impact the county’s ability to provide critical healthcare services. Santa Clara County anticipates losing more than $1 billion in Medi-Cal funding over the next few years, which could significantly reduce vaccine accessibility.

Mony urges parents to take immediate action: “If your child is not vaccinated, please schedule an appointment with your healthcare provider today”. She emphasizes that vaccinations aren’t just about individual protection, but also about safeguarding community health, especially for immunocompromised individuals.

Health officials are also battling widespread misinformation about vaccines. “It’s becoming increasingly challenging to combat false information,” Rudman notes. “We want to ensure that trusted, accurate information reaches families making critical health decisions”.

As students prepare to return to school, getting vaccinated isn’t just a recommendation, it’s a crucial step in protecting individual and community health in an increasingly complex healthcare landscape.