Brookline families can check their children’s vaccination records as measles cases climb nationwide and Massachusetts pediatricians warn that uneven vaccine coverage could leave some communities vulnerable.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 4,080 confirmed U.S. measles cases as of Oct. 8, exceeding the 2,289 recorded during all of 2025.

Massachusetts had recorded two cases this year as of an Oct. 6 WBUR report. Dr. David Lyczkowski, president of the Massachusetts chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, told the station he was concerned an outbreak could follow.

Coverage varies across communities

Statewide, 96.5% of kindergarteners had received measles vaccinations during the 2025–26 school year, according to Massachusetts Department of Public Health data reviewed by WBUR.

That statewide average exceeds the roughly 95% coverage target associated with community protection. But averages can conceal schools and neighborhoods with substantially lower vaccination rates.

Franklin County’s kindergarten coverage was 89.7%, Suffolk County’s was 94.2% and Martha’s Vineyard’s was 91.2%. Some Massachusetts schools reported full coverage, while others reported that about one in five kindergarteners lacked measles vaccinations.

Those figures describe last school year. They do not establish vaccination coverage among students currently enrolled at individual Brookline schools.

Families can find published school-level reports through the DPH school immunizations page.

Exemptions have increased

Massachusetts recorded 1,169 kindergarteners with religious vaccination exemptions during 2025–26, compared with fewer than 700 in 2020, WBUR reported.

Nationally, exemptions from one or more required vaccinations reached 4.2% of kindergarteners during 2025–26, according to a KFF analysis of CDC data. That was the highest national exemption rate recorded.

National kindergarten MMR coverage fell to 92.4%, down from 95.2% in 2019–20.

Checking protection against measles

The CDC’s routine vaccine recommendations call for two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine: the first at 12–15 months and the second at 4–6 years.

Two doses are about 97% effective at preventing measles. The virus spreads through the air and can remain infectious for up to two hours after an infected person leaves an area, according to the CDC’s transmission guidance.

An Aug. 10 federal executive order called for options to administer the MMR components separately when those products become available, while preserving access to combination vaccines. Families with questions about vaccination or catch-up doses can consult their child’s healthcare provider.

Brookline’s Pediatric Immunization Clinic serves children ages 1–18 by appointment at 11 Pierce St. Vaccinations are federally funded and free for eligible children.

Families should bring their child’s vaccination records and confirm vaccine availability and eligibility when scheduling.