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Kindergarten vaccinations fall in WA, measles cases rise to record levels

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Published  July 24, 2025 6:51pm PDT
Seattle
FOX 13 Seattle
Kindergarten vaccinations fall in WA

Kindergarten vaccinations fall in WA

So far in 2025, measles cases reported in the U.S. are nearly five times higher than last year’s total. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 39 states, including Washington, reported cases this year, breaking the 1992 record.

The Brief

    • Measles cases in the U.S. have surged in 2025, with 39 states, including Washington, reporting cases, breaking the 1992 record; Washington has confirmed at least 10 cases, mostly in King, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties.
    • The rise in measles coincides with declining school immunization rates in Washington, particularly in kindergarten, with significant drops in counties like Pacific and Pierce.
    • Dr. Scott Lindquist emphasizes the importance of vaccines in preventing serious diseases, urging parents to act amid the downward trend in immunizations.

SEATTLE - So far in 2025, measles cases reported in the U.S. are nearly five times higher than last year’s total. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 39 states, including Washington, reported cases this year, breaking the 1992 record. 

In Washington, at least 10 confirmed measles cases have been reported so far in 2025. The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) said the cases were in King, Snohomish, and Whatcom counties. DOH stated at least four of the reported infections involved small children.

The increase in measles comes as the overall school immunization rate among Washington students is declining. 

By the numbers:

According to the DOH data dashboard, overall numbers show a downward trend in school immunizations since the COVID-19 pandemic. For the 2024-2025 school year, the kindergarten vaccine rate fell more than 4% compared to the 2020-2021 school year.

"My concern is as we start to falter in our ability to vaccinate our kids, are we going to see a resurgence of these diseases, and even more deaths?" said Dr. Scott Lindquist, state medical epidemiologist for DOH.

In western Washington, King and Snohomish counties saw little to no change in the 2024-2025 rates for kindergarten compared to 2023-2024 school year. However, in Pierce County, there was a 2.5% drop during that period.

Local perspective:

For the past two academic years, Pacific County saw some of the lowest vaccine rates in the state. The 2024-2025 data show Pacific County at the bottom of the list, with just 56.1% of kindergarten immunizations completed. It was 77.6% in the 2023-2024 school year, according to DOH.

Pend Oreille, Stevens, Clallam, and Ferry counties also saw the lowest completed kindergarten immunizations in the state for 2024-2025. 

What they're saying:

Dr. Lindquist has three decades of experience in pediatric infectious disease. He said vaccines are vitally important in keeping kids healthy as they prepare to attend school and continue receiving vaccinations through adulthood. 

"It is clearly one of the largest public health advancements in our lifetime," said Dr. Lindquist.

For children between birth and six years old, the CDC recommends a series of vaccines to protect them against "14 serious and potentially life-threatening diseases," including measles, chickenpox, whooping cough, tetanus, mumps, and polio.

"These diseases are much, much worse than the vaccine," said Dr. Lindquist. 

With the downward trend in immunizations in the state, Dr. Lindquist said he hopes parents will act soon to protect their children.

"In my vaccinating thousands and thousands of kids, I have never seen a kid harmed from a vaccine. Now, I know that things can happen with vaccines. So, there’s always a risk, but it’s incredibly rare compared to the risk from the disease," said Dr. Lindquist.

DOH receives data from public and private schools statewide. The state uses that information to update its online dashboard in late spring every year.

The state’s school immunization website said, "High immunization rates protect our communities from disease. Schools are required to report their students’ immunization status every year to DOH under RCW 28A.210.110. DOH uses this information to track childhood immunization rates year over year and inform health care partners’ work in improving vaccination rates in the state. High immunization rates protect our communities from disease and are part of our priorities for health and wellness in the DOH Transformational Plan."

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The Source: Information in this story comes from original reporting by FOX 13 Seattle reporter Franque Thompson.

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