Measles outbreaks in Texas and New Mexico raise alarm on low vaccination rates in INW

An unvaccinated child died of measles in Texas on Tuesday, prompting concerns about low vaccination rates across the Inland Northwest.

So far this year, measles outbreaks have popped up in Texas and New Mexico. Health care experts are warning more could outbreaks could happen.

“I didn’t expect to ever take care of measles patients in my career, in any meaningful way. It seems like something from the past,” said Dr. Laura Johnson in Lubbock, Tex.

Despite the measles vaccine being readily available since the 1960s, more and more parents are choosing not to get their kids vaccinated.

According to the Washington Department of Health, only 86% of kindergarteners in Spokane County received a measles vaccine during the 2023-2024 school year.

In Idaho, roughly 79% of kids in that age group have been vaccinated, according to the CDC.

Both of those percentages are lower than the national average of 92.7%.

“We need to have a certain high rate of vaccination in order to not have these outbreaks of some of these illnesses we’re seeing,” said Dr. Sarah d’Hulst, Primary Care Medical Director at Multicare.

A 95% vaccination rate is required for a community to have herd immunity against measles.

Doctors attribute Washington and Idaho’s lower vaccination rates, in part, to an increase in exemption rates.

14.3% of kindergarteners are exempt from one or more vaccines, and 4.8% percent of kindergarteners in Washington. Idaho allows vaccination exemptions for medical, religious and personal reasons.

“It’s always scary when a child dies of a vaccine-preventable illness, and I think there is sometimes a belief that now that we are more mature in technology, we can save kids from anything, and unfortunately, that is just not the case,” Dr. d’Hulst said.

Doctors worry with a growing distrust in vaccines, more and more people will get measles, which can affect not only unvaccinated children, but also those who are immunocompromised.

“Our only way to protect our friends at school who are going through those things is to be vaccinated ourselves, so we don’t bring it to them” Dr. d’Hulst said.

If you are curious about how your child’s school fares in vaccination rates, check out the Washington Department of Health’s school immunization dashboard.