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Utah student vaccine waivers rose for the first time in 3 years. Is it a trend or a one-off?

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Utah student vaccine waivers rose for the first time in 3 years. Is it a trend or a one-off?


Marilyn Gertsch prepares a COVID-19 vaccine at Mount Jordan Center College in Sandy on March 11, 2021. Utah noticed a rise in class vaccine waivers for kindergartners final 12 months for the primary time in three years. Why this occurred and if it should proceed to occur is much less clear. (Annie Barker, Deseret Information)

Estimated learn time: 3-4 minutes

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah skilled a rise in class vaccine waivers for kindergartners beginning public faculty final 12 months for the primary time in three faculty years.

“We must always acknowledge that there was a marked enhance in kindergarten vaccine exemptions and a drop in acceptable vaccine protection for kindergartens in our state,” stated Wealthy Lakin, director of immunizations for the Utah Division of Well being and Human Providers.

Whereas it has gone up, Lakin stated it hasn’t risen by an “alarming” quantity.

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In keeping with information obtained by KSL.com, the state common for vaccine exemptions over the past 5 faculty years was round 5.3%. Throughout the 2021-22 faculty 12 months, this rose to five.9% — a 0.6 share level enhance from the common.

“A half a p.c is actually not one thing that is alarming,” Lakin stated.

Moreover, he stated it is essential to keep in mind that many colleges — particularly ones in rural areas — have a small variety of whole kindergarten college students enrolled.

“If there’s only one or two exemptions that enhance, that would present a big share (enhance),” Lakin stated. “We’ve to be very cautious after we analyze that information.”

Even with all this into account, vaccine exemptions nonetheless rose in all 13 of Utah’s well being districts.

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Why?

We’d have to attend till the 2022-23 vaccine waiver information is launched to get a greater understanding, Lakin stated.

Vaccine exemption data for kindergarten students from 2016 to 2022 in all of Utah's health districts are pictured. The Beehive State experienced an increase in school vaccine waivers for kindergartners starting public school last year for the first time in three school years. Why this happened and if it will continue to happen, is less clear.
Vaccine exemption information for kindergarten college students from 2016 to 2022 in all of Utah’s well being districts are pictured. The Beehive State skilled a rise in class vaccine waivers for kindergartners beginning public faculty final 12 months for the primary time in three faculty years. Why this occurred and if it should proceed to occur, is much less clear. (Picture: Utah Division of Well being and Human Providers)

“2021 faculty years have been irregular in a number of methods, and this time could also be mirrored within the faculty vaccine exemption information that we obtained,” he stated.

Lakin famous that with fewer college students in lecture rooms, mother and father could have been much less more likely to search vaccine exemptions, probably resulting in the uptick in exemptions that occurred when college students returned to high school.

“I feel the 2022 faculty 12 months will, hopefully, give us some higher information since we’re form of again to a traditional faculty 12 months in what we’re seeing in our exemptions,” Lakin stated. “That can most likely assist us look and see if, throughout the pandemic, it was extra of a disturbance within the exemptions than a attainable pattern.”

Each faculty in Utah is required to report its exemption information to the Utah Division of Well being and Human Providers. The info takes a while to kind by way of and arrange and the most recent information from the 2022-23 faculty 12 months most likely will not be prepared till January or February.

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If vaccine exemptions proceed to climb after a extra prolonged return to normalcy, “then we all know we have got one thing, that perhaps mother and father are trying on the (vaccine) misinformation that is on the market and adhering to that greater than credible sources,” Lakin stated.

Vaccine exemptions persevering with to climb may additionally carry easy, but unwelcome, penalties.

“Then we simply have extra outbreaks of measles and mumps,” he stated. “Ten years in the past, we rarely noticed any measles or mumps outbreaks and then you definately noticed the outbreak in Disneyland, you noticed outbreaks of measles and mump instances in Utah.”

“There is a shut correlation to the quantity of individuals which might be vaccinated and the unfold of vaccine-preventable illnesses. In case you have increased exemptions, you are going to have extra instances of vaccine-preventable illnesses,” Lakin stated.

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Logan Stefanich is a reporter with KSL.com, protecting southern Utah communities, schooling, enterprise and army information.

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Utah

Injury Update Revealed for Utah Jazz G Jordan Clarkson

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Injury Update Revealed for Utah Jazz G Jordan Clarkson


Across their most recent set of games, the Utah Jazz have been without a few key names within the lineup, one of those notable contributors being former Sixth Man of the Year winner Jordan Clarkson.

Clarkson has been inactive for the Jazz’s past two contests, a stretch where the Jazz secured a 1-1 record. However, the good news for Utah is that we shouldn’t expect to see him stuck on the sidelines for much longer.

According to a report from the Jazz, Clarkson has been ruled questionable for their upcoming contest vs. the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday. It’s a step forward from his inactive status we’ve seen throughout the past week, and provides some added optimism for his potential return against a tough Eastern Conference opponent.

Clarkson has started his season with the Jazz averaging 13.0 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists on 39.0% shooting from the field, but a bleak 19.0% shooting from deep– even starting two nights in the backcourt along the way.

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For a player like Clarkson, the numbers have seen better days, yet it’s well within reason to see such a spark plug get his efficiency turned around in due time, especially with such a long season ahead.

While nothing’s official yet when it comes to the word on Clarkson, expect his status to soon be finalized in the hours leading up to the tip-off of Jazz-Bucks, set to take place at 6 PM MT at Fiserv Forum.

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Republican John Curtis will replace outgoing Senator Mitt Romney in Utah

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Republican John Curtis will replace outgoing Senator Mitt Romney in Utah


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Republican Rep. John Curtis won a three-way general election on Tuesday to become Utah’s next junior U.S. senator.

Curtis bested Democratic candidate Caroline Gleich, a prominent environmental activist and mountaineer. He also defeated right-leaning Independent Carlton Bowen, who criticized him for not being sufficiently “pro-Trump.”

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Curtis’s victory means that one moderate Republican will be replaced with another. In September 2023, Mitt Romney announced that he would not seek reelection, likely ending his career in electoral politics. 

Romney had represented Utah in the U.S. Senate since 2019, while also serving as Massachusetts Governor from 2003-2007. He was the Republican presidential nominee in 2012 and lost to Barack Obama.

Utah, historically a Republican stronghold, has not elected a Democratic senator since 1970, according to the Associated Press.

 A new center-right voice for Utah 

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Curtis, who once identified as a Democrat, has positioned himself as a bipartisan voice amid the complexities of contemporary politics. He has stated his support for Trump when the former president’s policies align with “Utah values.”

Throughout his campaign, Curtis emphasized key issues such as protecting public lands, increasing energy production, and fostering improved relations with China. His platform aims to resonate with a broad spectrum of Utah voters, reflecting the state’s combination of traditional conservative values and a pragmatic approach to governance.

Jeremy Yurow is a politics reporting fellow based in Hawaii for the USA TODAY Network. You can reach him at JYurow@gannett.com or on X, formerly Twitter @JeremyYurow

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Utah GOP sweeps U.S. House seats, easily defeating Democratic challengers

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Utah GOP sweeps U.S. House seats, easily defeating Democratic challengers


SALT LAKE CITY — A mix of old and new faces will represent the state of Utah when the U.S. House of Representatives convenes for a new session.

Republicans Burgess Owens and Blake Moore will return to Washington after winning reelection Tuesday, while fellow GOP Rep. Celeste Maloy was elected to serve a full term after winning a special election last year to serve out of the rest of Rep. Chris Stewart’s term.

The new face among Utah’s House delegation is Mike Kennedy, who defeated Democratic challenger Glenn Wright in the Congressional District 3 race to replace Rep. John Curtis, who ran for Mitt Romney’s Senate seat and won.

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In Utah’s 4th Congressional District, Owens first won election to the House in 2020 and reelection two years later. On Tuesday, Owens defeated Katrina Fallick-Wang by a wide margin.

Moore, who has represented the state’s 1st Congressional District since also winning office in 2020, claimed victory of democrat Bill Campbell.

Maloy faced the most precarious challenge in returning to Washington, defeating primary opponent Colby Jenkins by just 176 votes in an election that eventually went to a recount.

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