There haven’t yet been any measles outbreaks reported in Arizona this year, though we've had them before. But due to the state’s proximity to states that have been hit hard by the once-eradicated disease — New Mexico and Texas — the Grand Canyon State is far from safe.
Texas’ outbreak in late January originated in a west Texas county bordering New Mexico that has recorded 226 cases, according to the state health department. Statewide, the number of measles cases has exceeded 500, with 41 patients requiring hospitalization. One 6-year-old child has died, according to NBC News.
Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air and can remain in the air for up to two hours after an infected individual leaves, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Symptoms include a high fever, cough, pink eye and runny nose, but measles can kill, especially among children.
The MMR vaccine — that stands for measles, mumps and rubella — is so effective that measles had been considered eliminated in the U.S. since 2000. But with fringy vaccine skepticism on the rise, outbreaks still pop up, often in areas with a low MMR vaccination rate.
Which areas of the Valley are most at risk? For that, we turn to the Immunization Data Report from the Arizona Department of Health Services. The department collects a variety of vaccination data from children at three levels of schooling: daycare and preschool, kindergarten and sixth grade. The most recent report is from 2023.
For this piece, Phoenix New Times looked at MMR vaccination rates for kindergartners throughout the greater Phoenix area, dividing the data by ZIP code. We excluded schools with fewer than 20 students, as the immunization report does not include specific enrollment numbers for them.
Here’s a map of MMR vaccine rates in the Valley. The redder the ZIP code, the lower the vaccination rate.
The CDC estimates that 92.7% of kindergarteners nationally have had two doses of the MMR vaccine. For the 2023-24 school year, the measles vaccination rate in Maricopa County was 87.5%, according to the state health department.
Here are the 10 Valley ZIP codes with the lowest MMR vaccination rate among kindergartners.
10. 85281 — North Tempe
Most of Arizona State University’s Tempe campus is in this ZIP code. Of note: At Scales Technology Academy, 12% of kindergartners were exempted from receiving the MMR vaccine.Elementary schools: 5
Kindergartners: 333
Measles vaccine rate: 82.88%
9. 85355 — Waddell
You may not have heard of Waddell, but its West Valley ZIP code borders Luke Air Force Base just west of Litchfield Park and El Mirage.Elementary schools: 2
Kindergartners: 169
Measles vaccine rate: 82.84%
8. 85296 — Gilbert
This East Valley ZIP code is home to plenty of suburbs, single-family homes and the planned community Agritopia. Of note: The percentage of vaccinated students was significantly lower at Gilbert Christian Elementary & Middle School, with only 58.2% of its kindergartners vaccinated against measles.Elementary schools: 8
Kindergartners: Around 500
Measles vaccine rate: 81.04%
7. 85258 — Scottsdale
This ZIP code is home to golf courses, affluent neighborhoods and Great Wolf Lodge Water Park. Of note: Laguna Elementary School Scottsdale has a significantly lower vaccination rate than its neighbors in the ZIP code, with only 54.1% uptake of the measles vaccine among kindergarten students.Elementary schools: 4
Kindergartners: 237
Measles vaccine rate: 80.59%
6. 85203 — Mesa
This ZIP code is right outside the city’s downtown area and is filled with single-family homes and elementary schools. The home-based school Sequoia Choice School Arizona Distance Learning School pulls down the ZIP code’s average, with only 54.1% of its kindergarten students vaccinated. Then again, “distance learning” is in the name.Elementary schools: 10
Kindergartners: Around 450
Measles vaccine rate: 80.56%
5. 85087 — New River
This ZIP code is mostly desert but for the sparse Anthem West neighborhood.Elementary schools: 3
Kindergartners: Less than 160
Measles vaccine rate: 80%
4. 85022 — North Phoenix
Lookout Mountain Preserve is in the middle of this ZIP code, which is home to many single-family homes and neighborhoods. Of note: The only charter school in the ZIP Code, Scholars Academy Sunnyslope, has a lower percentage of students who have gotten the MMR vaccine. Only 68.6% of the kindergartners there were vaccinated.Elementary schools: 3
Kindergartners: 141
Measles vaccine rate: 78.82%
3. 85327 — Cave Creek
There is only one elementary school, Black Mountain Elementary School, in this ZIP code.Elementary schools: 1
Kindergartners: 45
Measles vaccine rate: 75.56%
2. 85390 — Wickenburg
This ZIP code has plenty of desert land, mountainous areas and a few residential neighborhoods. But there is only one elementary school, Hassayampa Elementary.Elementary schools: 1
Kindergartners: 41
Measles vaccine rate: 73.17%
1. 85307 — Glendale
This ZIP code — situated between Sun City, Luke Air Force Base and Litchfield Park — lags behind the rest of the county in measles vaccination rate. Of note: Heritage Elementary School’s West Campus had 67 kindergarten students whend data was collected, and only two were vaccinated against measles.Elementary schools: 3
Kindergartners: 177
Measles vaccination rate: 59.89%
