Fewer Kids Vaccinated in Delaware. Measles Came Back.

Delaware's kindergarten MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination rate fell from 98.5% in 2016 to 94.1%. That dropped below roughly 95% — the level needed to keep a disease from spreading through a community, often called 'herd immunity.' In July, Delaware saw its first measles case in over a decade; two days later, five cases made an outbreak. Nationally, 2,371 cases by July 30 hit a 35-year high.