Pa. parents can now track vaccination rates at their child’s school
90.5 WESA • • health
Key Points:
- Pennsylvania has launched a new online database providing detailed school vaccination rates amid a historic rise in measles cases, aiming to give families and local leaders clear information to reduce vaccine-preventable diseases.
- Data shows that about one in three kindergarteners in Allegheny County and statewide attend schools with MMR vaccination rates below the 95% herd immunity threshold, with compliance improving among older students.
- Exemption rates, including medical, religious, and philosophical, are rising, with some schools like Harvest Baptist Academy and Edgewood STEAM Academy reporting notably low MMR vaccination rates linked to high exemption percentages.
- The state is addressing inconsistent reporting and enforcement of vaccination requirements, working with schools and healthcare providers to improve immunization access and data accuracy.
- Pennsylvania is experiencing its highest measles outbreak in decades, with 176 cases reported this year, leading health officials to recommend earlier MMR vaccination for infants as young as six months to curb the spread.
