State to report school vaccination rates

The Department of Health sent out a letter Wednesday to school leaders and nurses.

By KELLEN STEPLER
TribLive

The Pennsylvania Department of Health will soon disclose online vaccination rates at public and private schools, in response to increasing rates of measles, whooping cough and other diseases across the state.

A letter sent Wednesday, addressed to school leaders and nurses, and signed by state Health Secretary Debra Bogen and Education Secretary Carrie Rowe noted schools must report immunization data to the Department of Health by Dec. 31 of each year.

This fall, school immunization rates will be published on the Department of Health’s website, beginning with data from the 2025-26 school year. The department will continue to publish county and state level school immunization data online.

“At a time when information travels fast and misinformation travels faster, we are counting on your assistance to keep our schools and communities healthy and protected,” the letter said.

Both state agencies offer opportunities to assist schools in meeting the requirement to report school immunization, such as a standard immunization and exemption form schools are encouraged to use, the letter said.

The announcement comes at a time where some schools are losing “herd immunity” — a term medical experts use as the level needed to stop infectious diseases from being spread.

This year, Pennsylvania is on track to have the highest measles cases reported since the disease was eliminated in the United States nearly 30 years ago. There have been 64 measles cases reported so far, concentrated in Lancaster and Lebanon counties.