'Highest rate ever' for students claiming nonmedical vaccination exemptions

Schools reported the highest rate ever for students claiming nonmedical exemptions from the state’s school vaccination requirements, according to the Oregon Health Authority's (OHA) latest data.

By the numbers

Statewide, 8.8% of kindergartners had a nonmedical exemption for one or more required vaccines, up from 8.1% in 2023 and 6.9% in 2022. In 2023, Oregon had the second highest nonmedical exemption rate in the country, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data.

Analysts with OHA’s Oregon Immunization Program found that 86.4% of kindergartners received all required vaccines in 2024, down from 87.1% in 2023 and 88.4% in 2022. The decrease in kindergarten immunization rates marks two consecutive years of decline.

Stacy de Assis Matthews, immunization school law coordinator at the Oregon Immunization Program, said the best defense against vaccine-preventable diseases is a well-immunized community, which also protects children who cannot be immunized because of age or medical condition.

“The concern is that a highly contagious disease, such as measles, will be introduced to a school that doesn’t have high immunization rates and that students will become sick,” Matthews said. She noted that, as of May 10, there were 132 cases of measles in the U.S. in 2024, of which 81% were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status, CDC data show.

But by far, most Oregon parents and guardians choose to have their children immunized, according to Matthews. Schools reported that 91% of students in kindergarten through 12th grade received all required vaccines in 2024. However, this rate has been decreasing over time.

“School immunization laws help make sure kids can go to school in a safe and healthy environment free of vaccine-preventable diseases,” Matthews said. “These laws help support OHA’s goal of eliminating health disparities by 2030 by making sure each child’s immunization record is checked annually, and any child who is behind can be brought up to date on vaccines every year.”

Detailed look

Data from Oregon’s ALERT Immunization Information System provides a detailed look at childhood immunizations and adolescent immunizations, including immunization rates by race and ethnicity. OHA also maintains a summary of kindergarten immunization and exemption rates, which were updated this month, and a county and state immunization and exemption rate dashboard updated in August 2023. OHA officials said 2024 data will be available later this summer.

OHA also has individual school and child care immunization rate interactive maps (2024 data will be available later this summer) and individual school and child care immunization rate spreadsheets, also updated this month.

Resources

There are several resources for parents and guardians to get their kids vaccinated:

Information about immunization requirements for the 2024-2025 school year and school immunization forms are available in 17 languages.

If a person needs help in finding a clinic, they can contact 211 or their local health department. 211Info has English and Spanish speakers available, as well as interpreter services in many different languages.

If a child has Medicaid/Oregon Health Plan or no insurance, or is American Indian/Alaska Native, immunizations are available at low or no cost through the Vaccines for Children program.