A new analysis found Pennsylvania’s childhood vaccination rates are slipping.
For the second year in a row, kindergarten immunizations fell below the 95% target set by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
Becky Ludwick, vice president of public policy for Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children, said state data show a steady decline over the past seven years, even before COVID-19. The report highlighted a decline in vaccinations for measles, mumps, and rubella, otherwise known as MMR vaccines.
“In the most recent school year available, we saw that there were almost 8,000 kindergartners who weren’t up-to-date on their MMR vaccine,” Ludwick reported. “That has doubled since the 2017-2018 school year.”