Santa Cruz County measles vaccination rate is lowest in region, as measles outbreaks elsewhere grow

For several years until 2020, Significant advances have been made in California’s childhood vaccination rates. However, that progress has reversed during the pandemic, and the recovery since then has been slower.

Prices around the Bay Area continue to be higher than the statewide, but Santa Cruz County has received the recommended dose of vaccines that provide immunity to the measles virus, just over 91% of kindergarten students. According to data released this month by the California Department of Public Health.

Sonoma County is at the threshold, but all other Bay Area counties have higher vaccination rates than the statewide rate. Some local counties have increased their fees over the past two years, while others have declined. In Alameda County, MMR vaccine rates have fallen by nearly percentage points in two years, with San Francisco and Contra Costa rates rising over the past two years.

For the 2023-2024 academic year, California schools reported that 96.2% of kindergarten students had been vaccinated against measles. This is a slight decrease from the previous grade, at 96.5%, within two years before 96.3%.

California’s rates are still well above the national average. It is estimated that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has reduced this to 92.7% of this past grade. The recommended threshold for vaccination range to prevent the outbreak of measles is 95%.

Santa Cruz County Deputy Public Health Officer Dr. Carissa Leclea Cortez said the county’s current grade figures show a slight drop to 91.1%, but data for all counties are not yet available from the California Department of Education.

“For schools with more than 10% of students that are conditionally permitted or deferred for vaccination, we will reach out to those schools and visit them to actually provide guidance, resources and support,” said Leclair Cortez. She also said Santa Cruz County has more students doing independent research, with more students than other nearby counties who don’t need to be vaccinated.

“We are concerned that these low vaccination rates put our children and our communities at risk,” Leclair Cortez said. “We know it’s there. Unfortunately, when will it come to our community?”

It’s been more than five years since the county’s last measles incident in 2019, but as measles is spreading rapidly with several active outbreaks around the country, it’s possible that we feel there’s a higher path now. And there is the ever-present risk that tourists will take it back from places that have not yet been eradicated.

In December 2014, there was a serious measles outbreak that began at Disneyland. More than 100 cases are associated with the outbreak, with the majority not vaccinated.

The response to the Disneyland outbreak contributed to a sharp increase in vaccination rates for California kindergarten children over the following years. Some laws, Many were written by former state senator Dr. Richard Panencouraged vaccinations and otherwise legal replenishment of finite families to avoid mandatory vaccinations.

The statewide vaccination rate was 96.5% in the pandemic year, starting from the low ’90s in the early 2010s. Schools were then closed and the pandemic disrupted the health care system.

“Of all vaccine-preventable diseases, measles are like canary in coal mines, because it is the most contagious of all of them,” Pan said. He is currently a lecturer in Public Health and Health Policy in the Department of Public Health Sciences at UC Davis.

Hundreds of thousands of measles cases were reported each year before the vaccine was introduced, resulting in tens of thousands of hospitalizations and 400-500 deaths a year.

However, after decades of vaccination campaigns, it was declared that measles was eliminated in the US in 2000

“I’m really worried about us losing that measles elimination status,” Pan said.

This year’s outbreak in Texas contributed to the deaths of two measles. One has been confirmed and one is still under investigation. Over 300 cases are linked to the Texas outbreak so far, 23 was recently reported in Kansas10 in Ohio.

As all these cases are circulating, “Then what happens is wildfires catch,” Pan said. To avoid measles wildfires that have become out of control, “You will clean your brushes and protect your zone. That’s the purpose of your vaccination.”

Several sparks have landed in California so far this year. Eight already reported cases of measles, according to this week’s update from the state health department.. All reported incidents are travel-related, with potential exposures at Los Angeles International Airport earlier this month, but none have yet to lead to local spread Tuolumne County High Schools and Emergency Rooms recently.

“In the long term, people recognize the value of vaccinations,” Pan said. “The question is how many people have to die or be invalidated before that message finally sinks.”

Initially published: March 28, 2025 at 6:15am PDT

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