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Tag: measles

News

September 9, 2025

PA Partnerships for Children: MMR Vaccines for Children Trending Downward in State

Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children has released a new fact sheet on kindergarten immunizations as the 2025-26 school year begins.

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The fact sheet primarily focuses on vaccinations for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) among Pennsylvania kindergarteners and emphasizes the importance of getting vaccinated for public health.

Data in the fact sheet focuses on MMR vaccines because of the resurgence of measles cases around the United States. However, other childhood vaccines for Pennsylvania kindergarteners – such as ones for whooping cough and polio – are also trending downward.

For the second consecutive year, the state’s MMR coverage rate for kindergarteners fell below the 95% target following the 8,000 children who were not up to date during the previous school year. Coverage rates vary by county, with 44 Pennsylvania counties below 95% and eight below 90%.

Vaccination rates have decreased, while exemptions – mostly for religious reasons – have increased. National MMR coverage is 93%, with only 11 states meeting the 95% target. 

Decreasing vaccination rates heighten the risk of outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles. As the 2025-26 school year begins, caregivers are encouraged to schedule wellness checkups and discuss vaccine safety with their doctors.

There are free or low-cost health insurance options for families through Medicaid, CHIP, or the state’s health insurance marketplace, Pennie. The state Department of Health offers free vaccines for uninsured children or those whose insurance does not cover immunizations through the Vaccines for Children Program.

To learn more, check out the Pennsylvania Partnerships for Children fact sheet.

News

August 11, 2025

August Is National Immunization Month

National Immunization Month is an annual observance held in August to highlight the importance of vaccination for people of all ages.

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Every year, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) encourages parents to ensure that their children’s immunizations are up-to-date as part of back-to-school preparations.

According to recent CDC vaccination numbers, a large majority of children – between 80% and 92% – were vaccinated for routine immunizations, such as polio, measles, mumps, rubella, chickenpox, and other diseases.

However, just less than 50% were vaccinated for the flu as of late April, while only 13% of children were up-to-date with the 2024-25 COVID-19 vaccine.

In Pennsylvania, the Department of Health requested that all licensed child care providers complete the Annual Child Care Immunization Survey by Friday, Sept. 19 to meet state reporting requirements. 

Resources

Below is a list of resources for educators and parents, including information on vaccines, immunization schedules, and answers to frequently-asked questions:

News

May 22, 2024

Toolkit Aims to Educate Early Care Education Providers on Vaccinations

The Public Health Foundation (PHF) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have developed a toolkit for early care and education providers to help families keep their children up-to-date on routine vaccinations.

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In many early care and education settings, up-to-date immunization is a prerequisite for enrollment. Therefore, early care and education providers and other childcare professionals play important roles in supporting routine vaccinations. This helps to prevent the spread of diseases among children, families, and communities.

Early child care programs are instrumental in helping families stay up-to-date on their children’s vaccinations before school starts. Providers engage and assist families in ensuring that their children are fully immunized with all vaccines recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) – including the flu, COVID-19, and measles.

More Details

The PHF and CDC’s toolkit is part of a series being developed for the CDC’s broader Let’s RISE (Routine Immunizations on Schedule for Everyone) playbook.

It has been curated to support early care and education providers across a number of settings. These include center-based child care and family child care as well as Head Start, or other early learning, early intervention, and preschool/pre-kindergarten programs offered in schools, homes, or other settings.

The toolkit contains evidence-based strategies, tools, and resources that can be used to help families protect their children against diseases by getting them vaccinated. 

The toolkit incorporates input from the Administration for Children and Families; National Center on Health, Behavioral Health, and Safety; National Association of County and City Health Officials; Pennsylvania State University Extension – Better Kid Care; and Child Care Aware of America.

For more information, view the Public Health Foundation’s toolkit or email gtaylor@phf.org.  

News

August 2, 2019

National Immunization Awareness Month

Immunizations (also called shots or vaccinations) help keep us healthy and safe from serious diseases. As August is National Immunization Awareness Month, take this time to check in on which shots you or your child needs and when to get them.

About

Vaccinations can prevent serious diseases like the flu, measles, and pneumonia. As an example, at age 6 months and older, everyone is highly encouraged to get a flu shot every year. However, many other shots work best when they are administered at certain ages.

Talk to your doctor or nurse to make sure that everyone in your family gets the shots they need and use the resources below for access to more information:

Assistance

If you can’t afford vaccinations for your child, the PA Vaccines for Children Program (VFC) provides vaccinations at no cost to children who might not otherwise receive them. You can also apply for the PA Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) which includes coverage of vaccinations.

For information on the VFC program, call 1.888.646.6864.

For information on CHIP, call 1.800.986.5437.

Information provided by The Pennsylvania Key