Santa Cruz, California – In California, childhood vaccination rates have been a topic of concern in recent years, with progress made leading up to 2020, only to be reversed during the pandemic. The recovery since then has been slow, particularly in some counties across the state. However, despite setbacks, rates in the Bay Area remain higher than the state average, with Santa Cruz County reporting just over 91% of kindergarten students immunized against measles, as per data from the California Department of Public Health.
While some counties have managed to increase their vaccination rates over the past two years, others have seen a decrease. Alameda County, for instance, experienced a drop in MMR vaccine rates, while rates in San Francisco and Contra Costa have shown improvement. For the 2023-2024 school year, California schools reported a slight drop in measles vaccination rates from the previous year, now standing at 96.2%.
The nationwide average for childhood vaccination coverage stands at 92.7%, as reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, falling below the recommended 95% threshold to prevent a measles outbreak. Santa Cruz County’s deputy public health officer, Dr. Karissa LeClair Cortez, expressed concern over the county’s current vaccination rate of 91.1%, noting the potential risk to children and the community due to low vaccination rates.
The last measles case in Santa Cruz County was reported in 2019, but with measles outbreaks occurring across the country, the risk of the virus resurfacing remains a concern. The measles outbreak that originated at Disneyland in 2014 led to a significant increase in vaccination rates among California kindergartners in subsequent years, with stricter vaccination laws in place.
Dr. Richard Pan, a former state senator and current lecturer of public health at UC Davis, emphasized the importance of vaccination in preventing measles outbreaks, highlighting the contagious nature of the disease. With measles cases on the rise in various states, the risk of losing measles elimination status in the U.S. is a looming threat.
In California, eight measles cases have been reported this year, all linked to travel, with no local spread reported thus far. Despite challenges, health officials continue to stress the importance of vaccination in preventing the spread of measles and protecting public health. The ongoing efforts to maintain vaccination rates and prevent outbreaks reflect the broader public health goals in safeguarding communities against vaccine-preventable diseases.