Measles immunity lags across Tennessee counties
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Nearly every county in Tennessee failed to meet the herd immunity threshold for measles, with vaccination rates for kindergarteners far below the 95% mark, per new data collected and analyzed by the Washington Post.
Why it matters: Measles cases are rebounding, leaving local communities vulnerable to a virus public health officials say is preventable.
Driving the news: Only one of Tennessee's 95 counties meet the herd immunity threshold, data shows. That threshold is widely considered necessary to contain the virus' spread.
Stunning stat: Nashville recently logged its first confirmed measles case in 20 years.
Zoom in: Lake County in rural northwest Tennessee is the only place to reach the heard immunity threshold for the measles.
- In Williamson County, fewer than half of all kindergarteners were vaccinated against the disease, per the data.
The big picture: The battle against infectious diseases like the flu and measles has taken a hit with sinking vaccination rates for children in many parts of the U.S.
- The decline has set the U.S. up to lose its coveted elimination status for the first time in decades.
What's next: Federal health policy is shifting.
- The Trump administration this week overhauled the childhood vaccination schedule by cutting recommended shots to 11, though the recommended list still includes a measles shot for kids.
Go deeper: Where vaccination rates declined the most, by county