By Rich Larson
August is National Immunization Awareness Month, and Rice County Public Health is encouraging parents to make sure their children are up to date on recommended vaccinations before returning to school this fall.
Health officials say childhood immunizations remain one of the most effective ways to protect children from serious and potentially life-threatening diseases. Vaccines not only safeguard individual children but also help prevent the spread of illness to classmates, infants who are too young to be fully vaccinated, and people with weakened immune systems.
Local vaccination rates show room for improvement. According to Minnesota county-level immunization data, Rice County kindergarteners during the 2025-2026 school year fell below the statewide average for several key vaccines, including measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), varicella, polio and DTaP. Data from July 2026 also showed that 67.1% of Rice County 2-year-olds had completed the recommended series of childhood immunizations, compared with the statewide average of 70.6%.
While most children in Rice County eventually catch up on recommended vaccines by age 6, public health officials stress that receiving vaccines on schedule offers earlier protection and helps reduce the risk of disease spreading throughout the community.
“Children who don’t receive recommended vaccines are at risk of getting the disease or illness,” said Deb Purfeerst, director of Rice County Public Health. “Now is the perfect time to schedule your child’s well-child exam and vaccination review, before the start of the busy school year.”
Parents can check vaccine requirements and recommendations for school-aged children through the Minnesota Department of Health. Vaccinations are available through local health care providers and at Rice County Public Health for uninsured children, children enrolled in Minnesota Health Care programs and uninsured adults.
Rice County Public Health also offers weekly walk-in immunization clinics every Tuesday from 1 to 4 p.m. at its offices in Faribault. Appointments are preferred but not required. Residents seeking appointments at other times may contact the department at 507-332-6111.
Rich Larson is the owner and General Manager of KYMN Radio. Contact him at rich@kymnrdio.net
