Don't let vaccines get lost in the back-to-school shuffle

In the rush to get kids ready for school this month, you likely had to fill out endless forms, pick up fresh supplies, and find new pants to fit them (AGAIN). Getting an appointment on the calendar for vaccines can often get lost in the shuffle. If you haven't yet made that appointment, now's the time to do it.

Vaccination is one of the best ways to keep your kids healthy and in the classroom. 

The viruses and bacteria that cause diseases like measles and pertussis still exist and are causing outbreaks nationwide and here in Wisconsin. These diseases can make children very sick, and some can be deadly, especially for young children. The immunization schedule is designed by experts to ensure it's safe, effective, and offers children the best protection. This is why it's so important that every child gets the vaccines they need on time.

In addition to protecting your child's health, vaccines can also make your life easier: there's no stress quite like the last-minute calendar gymnastics of needing to stay home with them!

We have several school-based immunization clinics scheduled this fall where kids can get up to date.

In partnership with SSM Health, GHC, UW-Health, and area school districts, we have several school-based immunization clinics scheduled in September and October. 

• The vaccines are free and for school-aged kids 5 and older. 
• We strongly recommend appointments. 

We can vaccinate kids who:

• Do not have insurance, OR
• Are under 19 and are Alaskan Native or American Indian, OR
• Have Medical Assistance or BadgerCare, OR
• Have Quartz, GHC, or Dean insurance

Visit us at one of these clinics:

• Tuesday, September 29 - 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm: Sugar Creek Elementary School (740 N. Main St., Verona)
• Tuesday, October 6 - 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm: Sun Prairie Professional Learning Center (220 Kroncke Dr., Door 28, Sun Prairie)
• Saturday, October 10 - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm: Savanna Oaks Middle School (5890 Lacy Rd, Fitchburg)
• Saturday, October 17 - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm: Holtzman Center (333 Holtzman Road, Madison)
• Monday, October 19 - 8:00 am to 12:00 pm: Holtzman Center (333 Holtzman Road, Madison)

If clinics are added or changed, we'll post the details on our school clinics page.

If you can't make a clinic

• Visit your child's pediatrician or area pharmacy to get up to date.
• Here at Public Health Madison & Dane County, we can vaccinate children under 19 who do not have insurance, have Medical Assistance or BadgerCare, or are Native American or Alaska Native. Visit our immunizations page to learn more.

While school immunization rates are high for Dane County overall, we've seen an increase in the percent of students that waived all vaccines in recent years.

We rely on high immunization rates to keep our community safe. For diseases like measles, even small declines in community vaccination rates can cause outbreaks—like we're seeing in southwestern Wisconsin. Here in Dane County, more than 9 in 10 Dane County students (91.7%) met all minimum immunization requirements in 2025-2026, slightly better than all students statewide (87.4%).

However, while still low, the percent of students that waived all vaccines in Dane County almost doubled from 2021-2022 to 2025-2026, from 0.5% to 0.9%. Dane County's rate (0.9%) is lower than Wisconsin's rate (1.6%). Personal conviction waivers—an option that permits parents to exempt their child from vaccines for personal reasons—are the most common type of waiver in Dane County and Wisconsin and have increased in the last five years. Our latest school immunization data report has more details.