Iowa measles vaccination rates are below the target

• The outbreak comes at a time of dropping vaccination rates and declining trust in public health institutions.

State of play: For the 2024-25 school year, 92.5% of Iowa K-12 students had two doses of the measles vaccine.

• That's a decrease from 93.6% the previous year and 95.6% in the 2020-21 school year, according to the state's health department.
• Both doses are required for students to attend school in Iowa.

The big picture: Overall, the number of kindergarten students receiving all of their school-required vaccines, including for measles, has dropped.

• In 2024-25, 88.8% of kindergarten students were vaccinated. That's down from 89.1% the previous year and 93.4% in 2020-21.

The bottom line: Measles vaccine coverage should be at least 95% of the population to help prevent outbreaks, according to the state.