Charted: No measles herd immunity here
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North Texas counties failed to meet the herd immunity threshold for measles, per recent data collected and analyzed by the Washington Post.
Why it matters: Texas' herd immunity status was at 97% before the pandemic. It's since fallen to 93%.
- 95% is the vaccination rate multiple public health authorities say is necessary to contain the virus' spread.
The big picture: Vaccination rates for children have been dropping in Texas and across the U.S.
- The decline has set the U.S. up to lose its coveted elimination status for the first time in decades.
State of play: The Trump administration reduced its recommended childhood vaccines list from 17 to 11 this month, though the measles vaccine is still recommended.
By the numbers: In Dallas County, about 90% of kindergartners are vaccinated against measles. Other area kindergartner vaccination rates against the measles are:
- 93.6% of Tarrant County;
- 91.7% in Denton County;
- 93% in Collin County.
Flashback: More than 760 measles cases were confirmed in a West Texas outbreak last year that led to the deaths of two children.