Vaccination Rates Plummet Across Ohio as Measles Cases Surge

As the 2025-2026 school year begins, public health officials in Greater Cincinnati are sounding the alarm over a concerning decline in childhood vaccination rates. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that the percentage of Ohio kindergartners vaccinated against diseases like chickenpox, hepatitis B, and measles has fallen from 95-99% in 2011 to just 88% as of the last school year.

This drop in vaccination coverage is particularly troubling given the recent resurgence of measles cases across the country. In 2025, the number of measles cases reached the highest levels since the disease was declared eliminated in the United States in 2000. Experts attribute this spike in part to the federal government's decision last year to halt over $500 million in funding for vaccine research and development.

"These vaccine programs prevent severe outbreaks of preventable diseases, specifically the pertussis and measles," warned Dr. Stephen Feagins, the medical director of Hamilton County Public Health. He emphasized that maintaining a 95% vaccination rate is generally considered necessary to achieve herd immunity and protect vulnerable populations from highly infectious diseases like measles.

With vaccination rates in Ohio now well below that threshold, public health officials are urging parents to ensure their children are up to date on their immunizations before the new school year begins. They caution that the consequences of declining vaccination coverage could be severe, potentially leading to devastating outbreaks of preventable illnesses.