CLEVLEAND — Fewer Ohio kindergarten students are meeting state requirements for vaccinations, according to data obtained from the Ohio Department of Health.
Ohio requires all students entering kindergarten to be vaccinated against dangerous diseases, including measles.
During the 2024-25 school year, 85.4% of kindergarten students met all of the state's requirements.
Five years ago, during the 2019-20 school year, 89.9% of kindergarten students were fully vaccinated.
In two Northeast Ohio counties, the percentage of fully vaccinated kindergarteners was even lower.
In Cuyahoga County, 81.3% of kindergarten students met state vaccination requirements. In Summity County, it was 82.6%.
The state's data also shows that the percentage of students who received the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella, also fell over the last five years.
During the 2019-20 school year, 92.4% of kindergarten students received the MMR vaccine.
During the 2024-25 school year, that number fell to 88.3%
This comes as Ohio battles a measles outbreak.
As of May 9, there were 36 confirmed cases in Ohio, according to Ohio Department of Health data. Sixteen cases are in Ashtabula County. Fourteen are in Knox County. There is one case each in Allen, Butler, Cuyahoga, Defiance, Holmes, and Montgomery counties.
The Cuyahoga County Board of Health issued a Public Health Alert about a measles case Thursday.
RELATED: Cuyahoga County Board of Health issues alert for local measles case
An unvaccinated child who had the measles and was treated at Hillcrest Hospital prompted the alert.
Health officials said the child was treated at the hospital on May 2 and returned on May 4 to the emergency room.
The board of health said the child was treated by a doctor and sent home to isolate "for the duration of the illness."
Anyone who was in the hospital's atrium lobby and is not vaccinated or considered immune is advised to stay home.
The board of health issued the following statement:
The public should be aware that the individual was present in Hillcrest Hospital’s Atrium lobby on May 2 from 3:50-6:15 p.m. Hospital staff are working with our agency to contact those who were known to be exposed. If you were in the general Atrium lobby area during this time period and do not have evidence of immunity to measles, you are advised to stay home (quarantine). Do not go to work, school or public places for 21 days to ensure that you do not become infected and pass measles to others.
You're considered to have immunity if you:
- Have had two doses of measles vaccination, while at least 12 months of age or older
- Show immunity to measles in blood work
- Were born before December 31, 1956
Anyone with questions or concerns can contact CCBH by calling 216-201-2000 or by CLICKING HERE.
