Якима-Кантри лидирует в штате по охвату вакцинацией школьников, несмотря на рост случаев кори

Immunization rates in Yakima County were the highest in the state for K-12 students this past school year, as the Yakima Health District reminds families to review their children's immunization records for this school year. The health district launched a vaccine campaign  this fall in partnership with Yakima Pediatrics, Yakima Valley Farm Workers Clinic and Yakima Neighborhood Health Services to support conversations around vaccines.  "The health department, along with the Washington State Department of Health, have been working on getting out the message of the benefits and history of vaccination, in order to serve the public health interest," said Dr. Dave Atteberry, health officer at the Yakima Health District and a doctor at Astria Health. Vaccinations help protect children from serious vaccine-preventable diseases and can help reduce the spread of illness in schools and communities, the health district said in a news release. "Vaccination is a very cost-effective and health-effective strategy to lessen the burden of disease," Atteberry said. "Both (in) children and adults, and especially when you look at populations that are at the highest risk for these conditions." The most at-risk groups are people who are immunocompromised, have an immunodeficiency, the elderly and infants, Atteberry said.  The vaccine campaign is an initiative to provide clear, concise evidence on the importance of vaccines so people can start a conversation with their primary care physicians.  Washington families without insurance can get their children vaccinated at no cost through the Washington State  Childhood Vaccine Program.  Immunization data in Yakima County Washington has some of the best vaccination rates in the country, Atteberry said. And Yakima County had the highest immunization completion rate in the state for K-12 students and the second-highest for kindergarten students for the 2025-26 school year, according to the Washington State Department of Health. "Our providers are doing an excellent job at getting in front of patients early on and setting a conversation up," Atteberry said. "I think when people are presented with the evidence, many of them would choose vaccinations." Immunization rates for K-12 students were 96.1%, while the state percentage was 90.3%. Out-of-compliance and exemption rates in the county were below state percentages.  For kindergarten students, 93.1% in Yakima County had complete immunization status compared to 86.5% statewide. Although out-of-compliance percentages have increased since the 2023-24 school year — from 2.5% to 4.2% — they remain below the state's 7.3%. What makes Yakima County especially impressive is that it has some of the highest vaccination rates in the state, but is under-resourced, Atteberry added. Other rural areas are implementing some the practices used in the Yakima area, he said. The Union Gap and Mabton school districts had the highest immunization completion statuses in the state for K-12 students, at 99.2% and 99.1%, respectively.  All kindergarten students in the Grandview School District had a complete immunization status. Families with questions about vaccines and their child's immunization status are urged to contact their healthcare providers. A list of required immunizations for the 2026-27 school year is available on the Washington State Department of Health website.  Measles  Over the past year, measles outbreaks have risen throughout the country and in Washington. Total measles cases in the state were 12 in 2025 but grew to 56 in 2026, according to Washington State Department of Health data.  Two doses of the MMR vaccine, which stands for measles, mumps and rubella, can protect people against measles, according to the Centers for Disease Control. Measles is highly contagious and can cause serious health complications, especially in children younger than 5. Common complications include ear infections and diarrhea, while more serious ones include pneumonia, encephalitis and death. Washington has also seen an uptick in COVID among the elderly in nursing homes, Atteberry said.  "We want to make sure that we're not setting up a situation where we're seeing a large burden of disease in our county, and we hope that that message spreads around," he said. Atteberry urged people looking to speak with their doctors or primary care physicians to bring their medical and travel history and the medications they are taking.  A health professional can analyze that information to understand what they're eligible for, or suggest different strategies.