Hillsboro School District families have less than four weeks to get their kindergarteners vaccinated against measles before the Sept. 8 first day of school.
Oregon reported 45 confirmed measles cases as of Wednesday, Aug. 12, the most since 1991 and well past the previous peak of 31 cases in all of 2024. Measles has been detected in Washington County wastewater since Aug. 1, meaning at least one infected person was living in the area, according to Dr. Dean Sidelinger, Oregon's state health officer and epidemiologist.
Only 85.6% of Oregon kindergarteners were up to date on required vaccines in the 2025-26 school year, the Hillsboro News-Times reported. That's well below the 93% threshold doctors say is needed to prevent outbreaks. Nearly 11% of kindergarteners held nonmedical exemptions that year, a record high.
Oregon requires two doses of the MMR vaccine for kindergarten entry. Any unvaccinated student exposed to measles must stay home for 21 days under state law.
"The risk of potential exposure to measles and the complications that could happen for your child are much greater today than they were a few years ago, and the vaccine is incredibly safe," Sidelinger said Thursday, Aug. 13.
Federal policy shifts add context
The vaccination shortfall comes amid federal policy changes. Last summer, HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. overhauled the CDC's vaccine advisory committee. Six months later, the CDC scaled back recommendations for several childhood vaccines, limiting them to high-risk children only.
President Trump signed an executive order Tuesday, Aug. 11 calling for the combined MMR vaccine to be split into three separate shots and for all childhood immunizations to be administered at separate appointments. The West Coast Health Alliance, which includes Oregon, responded by reaffirming its support for the American Academy of Pediatrics' immunization schedule, stating the executive order does not change its position on evidence-based vaccine guidance.
Oregon's per-capita measles rate has reached one case per 100,000 people, higher than Washington state at 0.6 and California at 0.1, according to KATU. Nationally, 2,465 confirmed cases had been reported as of Aug. 6, with nearly half occurring in children and teens ages 5 to 19.
Sidelinger said the U.S. will "more than likely" lose its measles elimination status this fall. International health officials are expected to make that determination in November.
What Hillsboro families should do before Sept. 8
Parents who haven't yet vaccinated their children can contact their pediatrician. During the current outbreak, Sidelinger noted children as young as 6 months can receive an early first MMR dose for added protection. If given before 12 months, a second dose is recommended at the one-year mark.
Hillsboro Pediatric Clinic is offering in-home healthcare visits, including vaccines, through June 2027 under an American Academy of Pediatrics grant. Spanish-speaking providers are available, and care is provided regardless of insurance. Families can call 503-640-2757.
Parents who choose not to vaccinate must obtain a medical or nonmedical exemption through the Oregon Health Authority before the first day of school. School-level vaccination rates are available on the OHA website.
As we reported July 30, the outbreak had already produced multiple exposure sites near Hillsboro. The case count is still climbing, and school starts in four weeks.
