With students preparing to head back to school and measles cases rising in the southeastern part of the state, the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) introduced a new tool that tracks the immunization rates at public and private schools.
Working in collaboration with the Pennsylvania Department of Education (DOE), the DOH developed an interactive database showing immunization data for more than 90% of Pennsylvania K-12 campuses.
The database shows the percentages of students vaccinated for various diseases with the most recent data available, including those who have received the MMR vaccine that is given to prevent measles, mumps, and rubella.
“Pennsylvania parents deserve clear, accessible data about the health of their children’s schools,” Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen said in a press release. “This new tool cuts through the noise, putting critical information directly into the hands of families and local leaders so they can work together to reduce the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough.”
Measles cases hitting historic levels
Since the beginning of the week, 26 new measles cases have been reported across the state according to the DOH, with 12 new cases reported in Lancaster County alone. Centre, Clarion, and Jefferson counties reported their first measles cases of the year.
So far in 2026, Pennsylvania has confirmed 202 measles cases. By contrast, the state reported 16 cases in 2025 and four cases in 2024.
Lancaster County accounts for more than half of the cases reported this year with 116. There have been 21 cases reported in Chester County, 20 in Lebanon County, and 7 in York County.
Vaccination rates on the decline
Measles vaccination rates among school-age children in Pennsylvania have been declining since the COVID-19 pandemic, with religious and philosophical exemptions on the rise in certain parts of the state, like southwest Pa. Like many states, Pennsylvania permits medical, religious, and philosophical exemptions from vaccine requirements.
Statewide, more than half of reporting schools have an MMR vaccination rate for kindergarten students at or above the 95% threshold that public health experts consider necessary to maintain herd immunity. More than 200 schools achieved a 100% MMR vaccination rate for kindergarten students.
At the 7th-grade level, more than 74% of reporting schools have an MMR rate at or above the 95% threshold, with more than 26% of schools reaching 100%.
At the 12th-grade level, more than 83% of reporting schools have an MMR rate at or above the 95% threshold, with more than 22% of schools reaching 100%.
Information from Reuters Connect via USA Today Network was used in this report.
