Key Takeaway:
- Tarrant County’s kindergarten measles vaccination rate declined to nearly 93% in 2025-26, slightly below the statewide average of 93.3%.
- Texas saw vaccine exemptions increase to 4.63% following policy changes and after a major measles outbreak that caused more than 750 cases.
- Health experts say vaccination rates at individual schools, not countywide averages, are the strongest indicator of outbreak risk.
Tarrant County’s measles vaccination rate among kindergarten students fell to nearly 93% in the 2025-26 school year from nearly 94% a year earlier, as vaccine exemptions increased following a major Texas outbreak and changes to state exemption rules.
The latest vaccination data released this week by the Texas Department of State Health Services show that the county’s measles vaccination rate reached almost 93% among kindergartners who received the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine during the 2025-26 school year.
The county’s rate was slightly below the statewide average of 93.3%.
The report follows one of Texas’ largest measles outbreaks in recent history. The outbreak resulted in more than 750 confirmed cases, killed two children, and hospitalized at least 99 people, according to state health officials.
Tarrant county school rates show uneven measles protection
Countywide vaccination figures continue to conceal significant differences among individual schools, health experts said. While several campuses reported full vaccination among kindergartners, others recorded substantially lower coverage.
Mercy Culture Preparatory Academy, which reported only a 5% kindergarten vaccination rate during the 2024-25 school year and ranked among the state’s lowest, was not included in the latest state report.
Medical experts said campus-level vaccination rates provide a clearer picture of outbreak risk than countywide averages.
“The vaccination rate at that hyper-local level is what actually really matters,” said Dr. David Higgins, a pediatrician and professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, in previous comments to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
Health data indicate that when vaccination coverage at a school falls to 90% or lower, the probability of a measles outbreak rises to 51% if an infected person enters the campus. The risk increases further as vaccination rates decline.
Experts link exemption increase to policy changes
The state report also showed conscientious exemptions from the measles vaccine continued to rise. Exemptions increased from 3.76% during the 2024-25 school year to 4.63% in 2025-26.
Public health advocates attributed the increase to recent policy changes and uncertainty surrounding vaccine guidance.
“I think what we saw in this report is the cumulative impact of these policies kind of slowly coming to a head,” said Rekha Lakshmanan, executive director of The Immunization Partnership.
Lakshmanan said a new Texas law allowing parents to download vaccine exemption forms instead of requesting them by mail made exemptions easier to obtain. She also cited confusion over federal vaccine policy as a contributing factor.
Local vaccination gaps raise outbreak concerns
Although Tarrant County remains close to the statewide vaccination average, health experts said localized gaps could leave some schools vulnerable if measles is introduced into those communities.
Measles is one of the world’s most contagious diseases, and maintaining high vaccination coverage is widely considered essential to limiting transmission. Public health officials continue to monitor vaccination trends as schools prepare for the upcoming academic year.
The newly released state data underscore the continuing challenge of maintaining consistent immunization rates following the recent outbreak while addressing rising vaccine exemptions across Texas.
