Kindergarten vaccine rates are on the decline in Pennsylvania
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Vaccination rates among Pennsylvania kindergarteners declined during the 2025-2026 school year for tracked diseases, while more students received exemptions from the shots.
Why it matters: The Keystone State is facing its worst measles outbreak in decades.
- Two people recently died from the disease, marking the first such deaths in 35 years.
The big picture: The drop-off in Pennsylvania reflects national trends and coincides with continued efforts by the Trump administration to make controversial vaccine policy changes.
Driving the news: Coverage with the measles vaccine (MMR), along with DTaP, HepB and varicella vaccines all dipped statewide for kindergarteners last year compared to the 2024-2025 school year, per Pennsylvania Department of Health data.
- The rates ranged from 92.3% for varicella to 94.9% for HepB.
- 2,750 kindergarteners across the state were attending schools but not in compliance with Pennsylvania vaccine recommendations.
- More than 7,200 students statewide had vaccine exemptions during the 2025-2026 school year, up about 11% from the previous year, per state data.
Plus: MMR vaccine coverage was 93.2% in the state for kindergarteners.
- Public officials say that vaccination rates should remain above 95% to maintain herd immunity.
State of play: Measles cases across Pennsylvania continue to rise.
- The state has confirmed at least 497 cases this year, as of yesterday.
- By comparison, there were 16 total cases in 2025.
Zoom in: 40% of Philly-area schools had measles vaccine rates below 95% in 2025-26 — up 8% compared to the previous year, according to the Inquirer.
- And 98 schools in the region reported measles immunization rates below 90%.
- That includes Eleanor C. Emlen School in Mt. Airy, which has one of the lowest MMR vaccination rates among Philly public schools (80%), per the state's online dashboard.
- Worth noting: The region we're talking about includes Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery counties.
Meanwhile, officials from the Philly school district, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, city health department and other groups called on parents last week to get their kids vaccinated.
- Philly has partnered with community health organizations to provide access to no-cost school vaccinations.
What they're saying: "The more Philadelphians get vaccinated, the safer we all are; when fewer people are vaccinated, the more we see disease spread," James Garrow, deputy health commissioner, said in a news release.
Go deeper: You can see the immunization rates for your school using the state's online dashboard.