Why Is Measles Surging in Virginia?
The Real Truth about Vaccines
As the measles outbreak in Utah seems to be winding down, not unexpectedly, we are seeing new outbreaks pop up in other parts of the country.
There is an outbreak in Pennsylvania and another fast-growing measles outbreak in Buckingham County, just west of Richmond, Virginia.
Why Is Measles Surging in Virginia?
Why Virginia?
Does the fact that nearly all the cases in the Virginia outbreak are unvaccinated give you a hint?
“As of 2026, the measles vaccination rate for kindergarteners in Virginia is high (95%). However, there are communities in Virginia with lower vaccination rates.”
Virginia Department of Health
But doesn’t Virginia have high vaccination rates?
That “high” vaccination rate that the Virginia Health Department mentions is just for kids in kindergarten who got one dose of the MMR vaccine, so they are really only partially vaccinated.
The vaccination rate for two doses of MMR in Virginia for kindergarteners falls to just 72%!
And those are averages for the whole state.
In some areas, like where we are seeing this outbreak, fewer than half of younger kids have had an MMR vaccine.
Specifically, the latest outbreak is in Buckingham County of the Piedmont Health District of Virginia, in which vaccination rates are at:
80% for two-year-olds who have had at least one dose of the MMR vaccine
85% for kindergarteners who have had at least one dose of the MMR vaccine
65% for kindergarteners who have had two doses of the MMR vaccine
92% for seven-year-olds who have had at least one dose of the MMR vaccine
80% for seven-year-olds who have had two doses of the MMR vaccine
A county with relatively low vaccination rates and which is surrounded by counties with even lower rates!
An area that is primed for a big outbreak if they don’t get ahead of it and start getting vaccinated and protected.
Immunization Requirements in Virginia
But doesn’t Virginia mandate that kids get two doses of the MMR vaccine to attend school?
They sure do!
But they also allow an easy to get a religious exemption that simply states that “that the administration of immunizing agents conflicts with the student's religious tenets or practices.”
That’s even though no major religions are actually against vaccines and most go out of their way to encourage people to get vaccinated!
What else?
“There have not been specific public exposure locations identified at this time. However, during this ongoing outbreak, there is a high risk of exposure to measles in Buckingham County.”
Virginia Department of Health
We haven’t heard of any public exposure sites for this outbreak that is quickly growing out of control - until recently.
There were two recent exposures at:
Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital located at 5801 Bremo Road in Richmond on Wednesday, May 20 - Sunday, May 24 until noon
Centra Southside Community Hospital Emergency Department located at 800 Oak St. in Farmville Tuesday, May 26 between 8:30-11:30 p.m.
Were you exposed?
Are you fully vaccinated and protected with two doses of the MMR vaccine?
Do your younger kids need an early MMR?
I don't know that it is the school exemption rate that is necessarily driving the outbreak. If you look at just the Buckingham County schools report (as opposed to the overall rate reported above), as recently as Fall 2024, the public school kindergarten rate for 2-doses of MMR was 99% and the private school rate was 90%: https://www.vdh.virginia.gov/immunization/sis-reports-2021-present/
But there is an Amish community with children who attend neither public or private schools . . .