An annual review of vaccination rates in Flathead County schools conducted by the Flathead City-County Health Department shows a continued decline in school immunization rates and an increase in religious exemptions.

According to Public Health Officer Hillary Hanson, evidence shows a vaccination rate of at least 95% is needed in order to prevent the spread of disease and protect children and other community members. But Flathead County schools fell below that benchmark for the 2018 to 2019 school year, according to a health department press release.

“Unfortunately, Flathead County rates are not meeting this mark, putting our community at an increased risk for vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks,” Hanson said in a prepared statement.

The measles, mumps and rubella vaccination rate for Flathead County schools for the 2018-2019 school year was 92.6% compared, with the vaccination rate for Flathead County kindergarten classes being lower yet at 87.7%. For the 2017-2018 school year, the vaccination rate was 93.7% among all of Flathead County schools and 91.3% for kindergarteners.

“These statistics indicate that Flathead’s school-age population is not sufficiently protected and thus, at risk for a measles outbreak,” the press release stated. With measles outbreaks occurring nationwide, the declining rate of measles, mumps and rubella vaccinations in Flathead County is of “great concern.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, since January this year more than 1,200 individual cases of measles had been confirmed in 30 states nationwide. Measles had previously been declared eliminated from the United States in 2000.

The organization reports the majority of cases are among people who were not vaccinated against measles.

In January 2019, a sizable measles outbreak in nearby Washington state prompted Gov. Jay Inslee to declare a state of emergency — an occurrence that placed Montana health officials on edge.

According to a map on the organization’s website, as of Aug. 22 for the 2019 year, Montana has reported no cases of measles, but health department officials say the lack of vaccinations does place Flathead County at risk.

As children head back to school, officials remind families to get their children up-to-date on their vaccines.

Reporter Kianna Gardner can be reached at 758-4439 or kgardner@dailyinterlake.com