Pennsylvania launches online tool for parents to view school vaccination rates
The state health department has introduced a new website that lets families see annual MMR vaccination data for individual schools, amid a rise in measles cases and declining immunization levels.
Pennsylvania's health and education agencies have unveiled an online database that provides annual measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rates for each public and private school. The tool replaces the previous state- and county-level reports and is intended to give parents and local officials clearer insight into school-level immunity levels.
"Pennsylvania parents deserve clear, accessible data about the health of their children’s schools," Secretary of Health Dr. Debra Bogen said in a release. "This new tool cuts through the noise, putting critical information directly into the hands of families and local leaders so they can work together to reduce the risk of vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and whooping cough."
Data released with the new system show that roughly one-third of kindergarteners statewide attended schools where MMR coverage fell below the 95% herd-immunity threshold in the 2023-2024 school year. In Allegheny County, the same proportion of kindergartners were in schools under the threshold, and the share of classrooms meeting the target continued to decline into the 2025-2026 year.
Vaccination rates improve with age: about 75% of seventh-grade students and more than 83% of twelfth-grade students attend schools that meet the herd-immunity level.
Exemptions for medical, religious or philosophical reasons remain permitted. While the average exemption rate in Allegheny County is low, some schools report higher levels. Harvest Baptist Academy recorded a 41.7% MMR compliance rate among kindergarteners, largely due to a 50% religious exemption rate, though the small enrollment size means a few students can swing the percentage. Edgewood STEAM Academy reported a 22% philosophical or moral exemption rate, and Penn Hills Elementary reported less than 68% MMR compliance for kindergarteners.
The state noted it will work with schools that have not reported data to improve reporting and to expand access to routine immunizations.
Measles cases in Pennsylvania have risen sharply, with 176 cases reported this year, the highest in decades. Lancaster County accounts for the majority of cases, while western counties report fewer. Health officials have advised providers to offer the first MMR dose as early as six months of age, with a second dose between 12 and 15 months.
The outbreak has resulted in 33 hospitalizations so far, underscoring the public-health concern surrounding declining vaccination coverage.