Oregon kindergartners entering school unvaccinated at record levels

• Oregon’s kindergarten nonmedical vaccine exemption rate hit a record 10.9% in the 2025-26 school year, up nearly 60% from five years ago.
• Only 85.6% of Oregon kindergartners are fully vaccinated, well below the 93% threshold needed for measles herd immunity.
• The decline accelerated after the COVID-19 pandemic, with exemption rates climbing from 6.9% in 2021-22 to 10.9% today.
• Oregon reported 23 measles cases in 2026 and 1,475 pertussis cases in 2025, the highest whooping cough total in 75 years.
• More than one-third of Oregon schools with 10+ students fail to meet the 93% measles vaccination baseline for outbreak prevention.

A record 10.9% of Oregon kindergartners entered the 2025-26 school year with nonmedical vaccine exemptions, up nearly 60% from five years ago, according to state data released May 29. The Oregon Health Authority figures show only 85.6% of kindergarteners are fully vaccinated against preventable diseases, far below the 93% threshold experts say is needed for measles herd immunity. The decline accelerated after the COVID-19 pandemic as exemption rates have climbed steadily upward.

A decade-long trend accelerating

Oregon’s vaccine exemption rate has climbed steadily from 6.9% in the 2021-22 school year to 9.7% last year and now 10.9%, according to the Oregon Capital Chronicle. Combined with medical exemptions for children with severe allergies or weakened immune systems, the fully vaccinated rate has fallen by nearly 3 percentage points in just four years. The steepest decline has occurred since the 2021-2022 school year after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, according to state health officials.

“Although the vast majority of families in Oregon are still choosing to protect families through vaccination, the downward trends are deeply concerning,” Dr. Howard Chiou, medical director for communicable diseases and immunizations at the Oregon Health Authority’s public health division, said in a statement reported by the Oregon Capital Chronicle.

Measles and pertussis on the rise

The data comes as pertussis and measles cases have skyrocketed nationwide. Oregon reported 23 measles cases in 2026, with all but one involving unvaccinated people or those with unknown vaccination status. Additionally, Oregon reported 1,475 pertussis cases in 2025, the highest total in 75 years, according to The Oregonian.

Health officials warn that more than one-third of Oregon schools with 10 or more students fail to meet the 93% measles vaccination baseline needed to prevent outbreaks. “Even when overall vaccination rates are high at the state or county level, that can sometimes hide significant risk at an individual school,” Chiou said.

Parents choosing exemptions

The vaccination most commonly avoided through nonmedical exemptions is the second dose of the measles vaccine, which has seen a more than 90% increase in exemption rates over the past decade. The next least popular is the diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough vaccine, known as DTaP.

State officials express alarm, but many parents view the trend differently. The rising exemption rates suggest that more families are opting out, a trend that has accelerated since the COVID-19 pandemic. Oregon lawmakers this past legislative session passed legislation making it easier to require health insurance plans to cover vaccinations despite shifting federal guidance from the CDC, and the state joined the pro-vaccine West Coast Health Alliance, which has rebuked recommendations from the CDC’s vaccine advisory panel.

“We risk seeing the return of diseases such as measles and polio — diseases of the past that once caused widespread harm but are entirely preventable with vaccines,” Chiou said.

Health freedom versus public health

The Oregon numbers highlight a growing tension between individual health choices and collective immunity requirements. Parents who claim exemptions for personal or religious reasons now represent more than one in ten kindergarten families, a figure that has nearly doubled over the past decade.

The debate shows no signs of easing. As measles and pertussis cases rise nationally, health officials push for higher vaccination rates while more families choose exemption. The question remains whether Oregon’s approach will balance individual freedom with community health, or whether the two will continue to collide in school classrooms across the state.

Sources for this article include:

ChildrensHealthDefense.org

OregonCapitalChronicle.com

OregonLive.com