Oregon kindergarten students have seen a nearly 10% increase in non-medical exemptions from state vaccine requirements, according to the Oregon Health Authority. This figure is significantly higher than last school year and poses a risk for preventable disease outbreaks.
Health officials warn that falling vaccination rates put schools at greater risk for measles and other serious diseases. The trend has been observed for three consecutive years, with 13.7% of kindergarten students not fully vaccinated.
The state’s reliance on non-medical exemptions is seen as a threat to decades of progress in reducing infectious disease burden. Vaccines have nearly eradicated many preventable diseases, but unvaccinated populations are more susceptible to outbreaks like measles.
Experts emphasize that herd immunity requires high vaccination rates, with at least 90-95% coverage. Oregon’s kindergarten vaccination rate is currently around 90.5%, which is below the required threshold for herd immunity.
Source: https://www.oregonlive.com/education/2025/05/record-number-of-oregon-kindergartners-lack-vaccinations-due-to-nonmedical-exemptions.html