Less than half of the children in Douglas County received all of their vaccinations on time during the 2012-13 school year, placing it well below the state average for immunization, a new report released Tuesday said.

The Kansas Action for Children, a child advocacy group, reported that 48 percent of children in Douglas County are fully immunized by the age of 2. The rest of the state came in at 61 percent, and Douglas County’s peer counties scored 59.

The Kids Count report measures children’s health, education and economic indicators throughout the state. This year’s edition also noted a lack of early childhood education opportunities in Douglas County.

The report said Douglas County’s immunization rate has dropped by an average of 2.3 percent each of the past five years. Of the six counties that directly encircle Douglas County, four posted better immunization rates, with Johnson County leading at 63 percent.

Dan Partridge, the director of the Lawrence-Douglas County Health Department, offered two main reasons why the area is lagging in immunizations. One, he said, is that Douglas County often becomes home to many international families who come from countries that have different vaccination mandates. The other reason is the spread of the anti-vaccination movement, which is based around the belief — vigorously refuted by health professionals — that vaccines contribute to other major health issues such as autism.

“I can’t state that with absolute certainty, but it’s certainly a commonly held belief that Lawrence has an above average number of families who have concerns about the safety of vaccines,” Partridge said. “The benefit (of vaccines) far outweighs the risk.”

Vaccine rates are trending downward beyond Douglas County as well. Statewide, the immunization rate rose from 63 percent to 72 percent from 2009 to 2012, but then plummeted to 61 percent in 2013, reflecting national trends.

In a statement, Shannon Cotsoradis, president and CEO of Kansas Action for Children, said: “Timely immunization not only keeps children healthy but also protects others, including infants who are too young for vaccinations and people with compromised immunity.”

Trouble with early education

The report also indicated Douglas County is behind on offering preschool options to children. Douglas County has about 34 slots available for every 100 children who qualify for the federally run Head Start program, which is aimed at low-income families, according to the report.

That beats Douglas County’s peers, which averaged 30 slots, but is also behind the state average of 40.

A Head Start facility operated by the Community Children’s Center in Lawrence was forced to close after the 2012-13 school year because of the federal budget sequestration in 2013.

The report also said just 10 percent of Douglas County elementary schools provide pre-kindergarten services, compared with 50 percent statewide and in peer counties.

But that number is a bit misleading, according to Cris Anderson, the principal of Kennedy Elementary School. She said the Lawrence school district condensed its pre-kindergarten programs into one location, at Kennedy Elementary, over 10 years ago.

But that doesn’t mean demand is being met. Anderson said the program operates on a waiting list. And over the years, the program — fueled by a combination of a state and local grants, district funds and other contributions — has seen its financial resources depleted as the number of eligible children increases, according to Anderson.

“I do not believe it’s meeting the needs,” she said.