Almost 65 percent of Oregon's public charter schools are vulnerable to measles outbreaks due to low vaccination rates, according to an analysis conducted by The Oregonian.
To determine the rate of herd immunity for public schools in the state, The Oregonian's newsroom analyzed 2016-17 vaccination data compiled by the Oregon Health Authority. The analysis revealed more than 250 public schools in the state have measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccination rates below the 92 percent threshold needed to achieve herd immunity. The 10 schools — seven of which are charters — with the lowest MMR immunization rates range from 37 to 69 percent.
Woodland Charter School in Grants Pass had the lowest MMR immunization rate in the state. Phil Centers, the school's administrator, told The Oregonian he wasn't necessarily surprised by the findings, as some parents at Woodland Charter avoid traditional medicine in favor of alternative solutions. He said parents also value choice with regards to the type of school their children attend and the medical care they receive.
"I don't think it's a distrust of the medical community," Mr. Centers told The Oregonian. "It's just people saying what's the best thing for my kids, the best medical treatment, the best diet."
The state's charter schools with MMR vaccination rates below 92 percent serve 13,000 children. While a much smaller percentage of traditional schools carry MMR vaccine rates below herd immunity threshold, they make up a much larger portion of the state's schools, collectively serving more than 60,000 students.
To read the full report from The Oregonian, click here.
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