DCSD kindergarten vaccine rate beats state numbers
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Douglas County School District kindergartners had a higher vaccination rate last school year than their peers statewide.
Why it matters: Higher coverage helps prevent outbreaks, but Douglas County's measles vaccination rate still fell short of the 95% threshold commonly associated with herd immunity.
The big picture: CDC data shows Colorado ranked fifth lowest among reporting states for kindergarten coverage for the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis (DTaP) and polio vaccines during the 2025-26 school year.
By the numbers: DCSD reported a 95.9% school-immunization compliance rate among 4,319 kindergartners, up slightly from 95.8% a year earlier.
- Statewide, that was 90.3%.
Caveat: Colorado considers students compliant if they're fully immunized, have a valid exemption, or are following an approved catch-up plan.
Zoom in: Among DCSD kindergartners, measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) coverage reached 91.1%, compared with 87.7% across Colorado.
- DTaP coverage hit 91.4%, compared with 86.9% statewide.
- Polio was 91.5%; statewide, the figure was 87.3%.
Caveat: A broader county dataset covering 4,648 kindergartners put MMR coverage at 90.5%.
What they're saying: Laura Larson, Douglas County's assistant director for community health, says students new to Colorado or the U.S. sometimes arrive without complete records.
- Families also face barriers involving insurance, transportation or medical access.
Behind the scenes: Schools identify students who are behind on vaccines, while the county health department helps connect families with clinics.
- Providers recently administered nearly 150 shots to 30–40 students at a Castle Rock apartment complex.
Between the lines: Larson says the national debate over vaccines has prompted questions from local parents but hasn't broadly driven families away from vaccinations.
- "It's your decision as a parent … but let's make sure you have correct information," Larson says.
Colorado's kindergarten exemption rate rose to 4.7%, up from 4.2% during the 2024-25 school year.
- MMR exemptions reached 6.3% among DCSD kindergartners. The broader county dataset put the rate at 7%.
Friction point: Nationwide, coverage for MMR, DTaP, polio and chickenpox vaccines fell in more than half the states.
- That comes amid Trump administration efforts to reshape federal vaccine policy.
- Measles cases nationwide reached a 35-year high this summer.