Washington County is one of 10 Oregon counties where measles has been detected in the past two weeks. The state has confirmed 54 cases in 2026, the highest annual total since measles was declared eliminated from the U.S. in 2000.

For Tigard-Tualatin School District families, two statewide deadlines now loom. Kindergarteners must show at least one dose of each required vaccine by Nov. 19. All students must have complete immunizations or a valid exemption by Feb. 24, 2027. S

tudents who miss those deadlines cannot attend school.

Of the 54 confirmed cases reported by Your Oregon News, 50 involved people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown. Four people have been hospitalized, according to Dean Sidelinger, state health officer and epidemiologist at the Oregon Health Authority (OHA).

Statewide, 85.6% of kindergarteners completed all required vaccines during the 2025-26 school year, according to OHA. Nonmedical exemptions hit a record high. Sidelinger said a 95% vaccination rate is needed for community immunity against measles.

"We're below that on the statewide level," Sidelinger said. "Many counties are below that."

Washington County's vaccination picture is somewhat stronger. In the 2024-25 school year, 93% of K-12 students in the county were caught up on required shots, according to Washington County Public Health. Data for the 2025-26 school year has not been published. The county's last measles case before the 2026 outbreak was in 2019.

Sidelinger said he is concerned that the return to classrooms could accelerate spread. During a measles outbreak, unvaccinated students must stay home for at least 21 days under Oregon law.

That scenario has already played out in the Portland area. In July, Multnomah County Health Officer Dr. Richard Bruno described a spring incident in which two children exposed to measles at home attended a Portland-area school while sick, without public health officials' knowledge, as OregonLive reported. The exposure forced 40 unvaccinated students and staff to quarantine for three weeks.

Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing infection, according to OHA.

Families in the Tigard-Tualatin district who need vaccinations can contact the Virginia Garcia Memorial Health Center school-based clinic at Tigard High School at (503) 431-5775. Neighborhood Health Center is available at (503) 941-3016, and Virginia Garcia's main line is (503) 601-7400.