INDIANAPOLIS — Childhood vaccination rates continue to decline nationwide, a trend that is reflected in Marion County, according to public health officials.
Melissa McMasters, a nurse with the Marion County Public Health Department, said growing vaccine hesitancy is a major concern.
“Even on the national scale, there’s a lot of negativity around the vaccine right now,” McMasters said. “We’re trying to go back to the basics and explain how important vaccines are, what they do, and how they work. As we go out into the community and are more available, we’re starting to see more clients come in.”
According to the Indiana Department of Health, 86% of kindergarteners across the state met immunization requirements for the 2024–25 school year. In Marion County, that number was 80%.
“Partly because of the pandemic, and then those rates never really picked back up,” McMasters said.
One of the department’s biggest concerns is the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella.
“It’s a real threat and an extremely contagious disease,” McMasters said. “In general, you need a measles vaccination rate around 95% for herd immunity. Right now, here in Marion County, we’re around 85%, so we do have concerns if measles were to start spreading in our community.”
To boost vaccination rates, the Marion County Public Health Department is hosting several walk-in clinics. Information is below:
More information about immunizations can be found on the Marion County Public Health Department website.
