As the nation races backwards toward the mid-20th century — before the measles, mumps, rubella vaccine became standard — the term “herd immunity” is often heard.
The phrase refers to the vaccination rate high enough to protect unvaccinated children. For the MMR vaccine, it’s 95 precent.
According to the state Department of Public Health, there are at least 36 Connecticut schools in which the MMR vaccine rate for kindergartners last year was below 90 percent.
The schools were in 18 towns and cities.
And they included Westport.
Saugatuck Elementary School has a vaccination rate of just 88.6%. Coleytown El (93.8) and Kings Highway (93.9) were higher, but still below the herd immunity threshold.
The department also reported immunization rates for 7th graders. Bedford and Coleytown Middle Schools both met the 95% standard.
(Click here for the full Connecticut Department of Health report. Click here for the news story, first reported in the Connecticut Post. Hat tip: Peter Powell.)
