The Ohio Department of Health (ODH) is reminding families of the importance of making sure their children are up to date on their vaccines as they head back to school.

During a press conference held Tuesday afternoon, ODH Director Dr. Bruce Vanderhoff said while the majority of Ohio's children reach kindergarten with their required vaccines, there has been a decline in vaccine rates within the past few years.

"In the 2019-2020 school year, 89.9% of [Ohio's] incoming kindergarteners met all vaccine requirements. This past school year, the percentage of kindergartners who met all requirements was down to 85.4% for a drop of nearly 4.5% over five years," Dr. Vanderhoff said.

Dr. Vanderhoff said that while certain diseases have been considered eradicated, that does not mean that they cannot come back if children are not vaccinated against them.

"If you have any doubt about these vaccines and their continued relevance, look no further than what we saw around the country this year with Measles. Nationwide, the outbreaks appear to be slowing of Measles, but through August 19, across the country, there have been 1,375 Measles cases. And 92% of those were in individuals who were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccine status," Dr. Vanderhoff said.

The Measles vaccine is among those students are required to take in order to enter kindergarten. A complete list of required vaccines can be found here.

While they are not required for children to go to school, Dr. Vanderhoff also suggested parents and guardians vaccinate their children against the flu and Human Papillomavirus (HPV).

"HPV is a common virus that infects millions of Americans. In most cases, the virus goes away by itself within two years of infection, but in other cases, the virus remains and can cause cancer," Dr. Vanderhoff said.

Dr. Vanderhoff says the most common types of cancer caused by HPV are in the cervix or genital areas, but it can also cause certain types of head and neck cancers as well.

"The good news is that the HPV vaccine is highly effective. The CDC estimates that the HPV vaccine can prevent 90% of these cancers," Dr. Vanderhoff said.

You can get information on all required and recommended vaccinations for kids and adults in Ohio on ODH's website.