Some folks just can’t understand why we are having so many measles outbreaks these days.
It is actually really easy to figure out and find the decline in vaccination rates if you really look for it…
Why Are We Having Measles Outbreaks If MMR Vaccination Rates Are Not Declining?
And it is easy to understand why we are having these measles outbreaks, even though overall vaccination rates in a state might be good.
The problem is the clusters of unvaccinated people in very specific areas of each city, county, and state.
These pockets of susceptibles put everyone at risk, especially those who are too young to be vaccinated, too young to be fully vaccinated, and those with true medical exemptions who can’t be vaccinated.
Looking at the state and county level rates of MMR vaccination by kindergarten, you can see that a lot more kids haven’t been getting vaccinated since 1990. In fact, while 97.6% of kindergarteners during the 1998-99 school year had their MMR vaccination, it quickly fell to about 90%, where it remains today. In Clark County, where we are currently seeing a large outbreak of measles, the drop was even worse.
Not surprisingly, this mirrors the vaccine exemption rates in these areas.
“What’s so important about all this data is that it destroys the false narrative. Vaccination rates haven’t gone down lately. Period. Ask any epidemiologist you know to run these numbers.”
JB Handley on CDC, Check YOUR Data: MMR Vaccination Rates are NOT Declining
Speaking of false narratives, many states now publish school and county level immunization rates, so it is easy to see past anti-vaccine propaganda and see that vaccination rates truly have gone down lately in areas that are dealing with outbreaks.
The Oregon Health Authority actually publishes annual lists of child, adolescent, and school immunization rates.
“I wanted to make sure and corroborate that data with data from the Oregon Health Authority, which they conveniently don’t publish very often, but someone sent me their data from 2014, showing that 97.1% of 7th graders in Oregon have received an MMR vaccine! Where’s the decline?”
JB Handley on CDC, Check YOUR Data: MMR Vaccination Rates are NOT Declining
In 2017, 95.5% of teens in Oregon had received one dose of the MMR vaccine. Only 90% had received the recommended two doses. Rates in Multonah County, near the current outbreak in Washington, were actually a little better, at 96.7% (one dose) and 92% (2 doses).
Still, there are plenty of schools with much lower rates, creating the pockets of susceptibles that are causing these outbreaks.
Where’s the decline?
Have you checked the Portland Waldorf school?
While schools with higher rates help to boost the average rates for the county and state, the schools and communities with low rates are prime for outbreaks.
| School | MMR Rates |
| Orchards Elementary School | 71.4% |
| Minnehaha Elementary School | 89.3% |
| Cornerstone Christian Academy | ? |
| Hearthwood Elementary School | 72.2% |
| Home Connection | 86.7% |
| Homelink River | 61.1% |
| Slavic Christian Academy | ? |
| Image Elementary School | 78% |
| Eisenhower Elementary School | 89% |
| Tukes Valley Primary and Middle School | ? |
| Maple Grove School | ? |
| Evergreen High School | ? |
In Washington, for example, the schools involved in the outbreak (at least the ones that report) all have immunization rates below the state and county levels.
If you are on the fence about vaccinating your kids, check where you’re getting your information from if what you are hearing is scaring you.
Vaccines are safe, with few risks, and necessary. Get vaccinated and stop the outbreaks.
Why Are We Having Measles Outbreaks If MMR Vaccination Rates Are Not Declining?
- VAXOPEDIA – What to Do If Your Child Is Exposed to Measles
- VAXOPEDIA – Did Gregory Poland Really Say That MMR Vaccines Can’t Prevent Measles Outbreaks?
- VAXOPEDIA – Why Are You Still Worried About the MMR Vaccine?
- VAXOPEDIA – Is a Vaccine Strain Causing The Latest Measles Outbreak?
- VAXOPEDIA – Why Are Anti-Vaccine Folks Panicking over the Measles Outbreaks?
- VAXOPEDIA – What Are Anti-Vaccine Folks Saying About the Measles Outbreaks?
- VAXOPEDIA – Did the Measles Vaccine Have Only a Meager Effect on Deaths?
- VAXOPEDIA – About Those Vaccine Strains in Measles Outbreaks…
- VAXOPEDIA – What Do We Know About the Rockland County Measles Outbreak?
- VAXOPEDIA – Fact Checking Sharyl Attkisson on the Measles Outbreaks
- VAXOPEDIA – Measles Propaganda from The Physicians for Informed Consent
- VAXOPEDIA – The Pacific Northwest Measles Outbreak of 2019
- VAXOPEDIA – More Measles Hysteria From Bob Sears
- VAXOPEDIA – The Brady Bunch Measles Episode
- Washington Immunization Data
- Washington School Immunization Reports
- Oregon Health Authority Immunization Rates
- Sharing School Immunization Rates
- Oregon Adolescent Immunization Rates
Last Updated on February 6, 2019