Where Central Virginia elementary, middle schools stand with MMR vaccination rates

CHESTERFIELD COUNTY, Va. (WRIC) -- With measles cases on the rise nationwide -- including six confirmed outbreaks reported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) this year -- questions are growing about the potential for outbreaks in Central Virginia schools.

2024 data collected from the Virginia Department of Health's (VDH) Virginia Student Immunization Status Survey revealed varied Measles, Mumps, and Rubella (MMR) vaccination rates across Central Virginia's public elementary schools.

Public Elementary Schools MMR Vaccination Rates

• Richmond: 95.2% – 6 schools fall below 90%
• Henrico: 95.1% – 3 schools fall below 90%, including Fair Oaks Elementary rated at 32.4%
• Chesterfield: 92% 
• Hanover: 96.2% 
• Hopewell: 73.7% with Dupont Elementary rating 51% 
• Petersburg: 86.1% with Walnut Hill Elementary 79.2%

Public Middle Schools MMR Vaccination Rates

• Richmond: 85.8% – Thomas Boushall Middle rating 64.4%
• Henrico: 98.8% -- All but John Rolfe Middle hit herd immunity rates of 95%
• Chesterfield: 93.9% – Falling Creek Middle is the lowest with 84.4%
• Hanover: 98.9% – All schools hit herd immunity
• Hopewell: Carter G. Woodson rating 99.6%
• Petersburg: Vernon Johns rating 93.4%

The VDH, which tracks these rates yearly, underscored the importance of reaching 95% "herd immunity" to prevent student transmission. That's the level of herd immunity that is necessary to prevent measles transmission, Dr. Elaine Perry with the VDH explained.

"That's a level that helps prevent the virus if it is introduced to a population --[the level] that helps keep it from spreading rapidly through that population," Perry said.

The MMR vaccine helps achieve that immunity.

Measles, a highly contagious and airborne disease, can also be deadly.

CDC data revealed that, out of the 607 confirmed cases in 2025, 196 involved children under the age of 5. In that age group, 1 in every 5 is hospitalized. Two children have died.

Children typically receive their first MMR vaccine between 12 and 15 months and the second dose between 4 and 6 years.

“We do want them to have gotten that second vaccine before entering kindergarten," Perry said. "That is what we would call a school-required vaccination in the state of Virginia."

Perry said that, if your child is fully vaccinated with the MMR vaccine, they should be safe.

"To the extent that we let our guard down, that is when we would have concerns about measles developing to be a resurgence and being more common again," Perry said. "So prevention is key."