The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) is sticking to its childhood vaccine recommendations as the new school year begins.

The agency says clinicians should follow the schedules set by the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Despite that guidance, a growing number of parents in Michigan are deciding not to vaccinate their kids against preventable diseases.

Rates have declined since COVID

MDHHS grants waivers to parents who object to vaccines for religious, medical, or philosophical reasons. In the 2025-26 school year, more than 24,000 students received waivers, a rate of almost 7%. That’s the highest number in 12 years.

Ryan Malosh runs the department’s immunizations division. He says routine vaccinations have dropped since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I think what we’re seeing is that that more people are probably wanting to maybe delay some of the vaccines that they’re getting,” he says. “It’s not that they’re necessarily opposed to vaccination, but they’re just maybe concerned about all of the shots at once.”

Science is on the state’s side

Experts say misinformation about vaccines is also contributing to the decline, especially the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine. Malosh points to decades of scientific research that has shown the MMR shot is safe and effective.

“A single dose is 93% effective at preventing measles,” Malosh says. “Two doses, which is the recommended schedule for children once they age four to six years old, is 97% effective at preventing a case of measles.”

The guidance comes amid a 35-year high in the number of measles cases nationally. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates 94% of those cases were either unvaccinated or their status was unknown.

Michigan requires students to have at least six vaccinations against communicable diseases. Malosh says that includes influenza.

“That’s for everybody that’s six months of age and older,” he says. “They’re recommended to get a flu shot every year.”

Malosh says if parents have questions about vaccines, they should ask the experts—their doctors.

“They understand the science, and they’re trained in looking at these things,” he says.

The United Farm Workers Foundation, which advocates for farm workers and immigrants in the U.S., recently released a survey finding most farmworkers are worried about detention and deportation because of the Trump administrations latest immigration crackdown. 

Anna Hill Galendez is the managing attorney at the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. She leads the team providing legal services to farmworkers throughout Michigan.

“So while we haven’t seen large-scale raids at agricultural sites in Michigan during this administration, the constant threat or potential threat of that enforcement has really created a chilling effect and climate of fear for farmworkers in Michigan,” says Galendez.

The UFW Foundation surveyed over 2,200 farm workers in 12 states including Michigan.  The survey found that beyond deportation, people are afraid of seeking medical help, shopping or using social media.   Many have been working in the U.S. for more than 10 years.  

Additional headlines for Monday, Aug. 10, 2026

ProsperUs Plan to Profit

The nonprofit ProsperUs Detroit is hosting a Financial Readiness Accelerator program. The free 3-week program is for entrepreneurs who face financial barriers or have limited access to resources. The courses will cover how to build credit, manage debt and prepare for future funding. 
 
The cohort will be held Sept. 9 through Sept. 23 on Wednesdays between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. The courses will be held at the JHub at 950 Selden Street. 
 
People have until Aug. 16 to apply at prosperusdetroit.org.

El-Sayed talks with Obama

Democratic Senate nominee Abdul El-Sayed says he spoke with former President Barack Obama and hopes Obama will campaign with him and other Michigan Democrats. El-Sayed told NBC’s Meet the Press the conversation was warm and inspiring.

Obama did not endorse anyone in the state’s primary election. El-Sayed’s main Democratic rival, Congresswoman Haley Stevens, campaigned on her ties to the Obama administration, where she worked on reviving the auto industry. El-Sayed faces Republican Mike Rogers in November. 
 
-Reporting by Pat Batcheller

Work summit for refugees, immigrants

Registration is open for a workforce summit which aims to create networking opportunities for refugees and new immigrants.

The Southeast Michigan Immigrant and Refugee Collaborative is hosting the 2026 Opportunity Workforce Summit to introduce refugee and immigrant job seekers to employers, workforce organizations and educational institutions.

The event takes place Sept. 22 from 10  a.m to 3 p.m. at the Schoolcraft College, mVistaTech Center in Livonia, Michigan.

Wellness summit

A global movement is bringing a wellness summit to Detroit in October. The Hearth Summit Detroit is focused on communal wellbeing through art and reflection.

Event organizers hope to attract 200 changemakers from Detroit and Wayne County to discuss art, philanthropy and mental health. The organization says they want educators, entrepreneurs, artists and mental health practitioners to work toward a more just and equitable society. 
 
As of last year, there have been 27 regional summits hosted in 18 countries. The event in Detroit will take place Oct. 8-10 at the Kintsugi Village in Corktown. People can sign up at hearthsummitdetroit.com. 

Listen to the latest episode of the “Detroit Evening Report” on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, NPR.org or wherever you get your podcasts.

Michigan is reporting the first two fatalities among people suffering from the disease cyclosporiasis. Officials say medical records indicate the people had significant underlying health conditions. Officials add the disease, which can cause cramps and explosive diarrhea, is generally non-life-threatening. Deaths from it are uncommon in the U.S.

The state reports more than 11,000 cases since June, although it’s not clear how many of those people may have already recovered from the disease.  

-Reporting by Quinn Klinefelter

Additional headlines for Monday, Aug. 3, 2026

American Muslim Experience

Documentary photographer and visual storyteller Syed Yaqeen is visiting Michigan this week as part of the American Muslim Experience— a documentary project to preserve the stories of American Muslims through visual storytelling and conversations. 

He says he began the project to document stories of everyday Muslims to counter negative stereotypes and showcase what it means to be Muslim in America.  

“Like the complicated lives of everyday people who again happen to be Muslim. So for them to be able to see themselves as young kids, students going to school, getting jobs, first job, learning how to drive-you know-all these little simple things that people tend not to think of when they are, I guess, put in a specific group.”  

Yaqeen says his focus is on documenting the present-day lives of American Muslims to preserve that for the future.  

He is taking pictures in Hamtramck, Detroit and Dearborn.  

People can contact him on Instagram at americanmuslimexperience to schedule a session. 

Language access failure

The city of Detroit has failed to translate information in emergencies as required through an ordinance created last year to translate public service announcements, says the Michigan Immigrant Rights Center. 

Bridge Detroit reports that includes hazardous smoke and extreme heat warnings. City officials say they will make improvements to provide Detroiters whose first language is not English access to resources or information.  

Meanwhile Detroit Mayor Mary Sheffield has tasked the Civil Rights, Inclusion and Opportunity (CRIO), Office of Immigrant Affairs, and Media Services departments to improve language access in the city. 

BridgeDetroit found much emergency-based information was only posted in English on the city’s website or Facebook. 

The city hopes to provide translated information in Spanish, Bengali, Arabic, and French. Meanwhile, residents can use Detroit’s alert system and choose a language of their choice to access the city’s website. 

Detroit has spent more than $362,000 on language access services in the past year.  

Blood donations at extreme low

The American Red Cross has issued an emergency appeal for blood donations.

Sydney Henry is with the Michigan region of the American Red Cross. She says blood donations typically drop in the summer, but this summer is worse than usual.  

That’s likely because of the extreme heat events and wildfire smoke that choked some states, especially Michigan. 

Henry says the Red Cross has less than a day’s supply of type O positive blood. That blood can be given to most people in an emergency. 

-Reporting by Tracy Samilton