DuPage County schools hit a 96.9% measles vaccination rate for the 2025-26 school year, clearing the state's 95% target while the disease hits its worst national level in 35 years.

The figure, drawn from Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) data and reported by Shaw Local on Sunday, Sept. 20, is a reassuring number for Hinsdale families. But health officials across the region say the national picture should prompt parents to double-check their children's records.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) counted 3,471 measles cases in the U.S. as of Sept. 18. The agency reported 39 new outbreaks in 2026, and 95% of patients were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status. Four people died of measles-related causes in Pennsylvania this year, the first such deaths in that state in 35 years.

Illinois has reported 22 cases statewide in 2026, according to IDPH. No sources identified DuPage County among the counties reporting cases. Kane and DeKalb counties, both neighboring DuPage, have confirmed cases this year.

DuPage County's rate matched or exceeded its neighbors. Will County reported 97%, suburban Cook County 97% and Lake County 97.2%.

All cleared the state's 95% threshold.

Michael Isaacson, executive director of the Kane County Health Department, said that despite low local case counts, rising opt-out rates concern health officials. "Even though the number of cases has been low, one thing that concerns us is the number of people who are opting not to vaccinate their children has continued to rise over the last several years," Isaacson told the Chicago Tribune in August. "So that's leading to more cases of measles across the country."

IDPH Director Dr. Sameer Vohra said in a Sept. 2 news release that while Illinois benefits from high overall vaccination rates, some areas of the state still have lower coverage and higher risk.

Two doses of the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are about 97% effective at preventing measles. One dose is about 93% effective, according to the Kane County Health Department.

The CDC says one in five unvaccinated people who contract measles will be hospitalized. As many as one in 20 children with the disease develop pneumonia, the most common cause of measles death in young children.

Symptoms appear seven to 14 days after exposure: high fever, cough, runny nose and red, watery eyes. A rash of flat red spots typically starts at the hairline three to five days later and spreads downward.

McHenry County health officials recommend that families traveling internationally or to U.S. areas with active outbreaks talk with their doctor about an early MMR dose for children ages 6 to 11 months. Residents can check their vaccination records through the state's Vax Verify portal at idphportal.illinois.gov or by contacting a previous healthcare provider or school.

International health officials are set to meet in November to determine whether the U.S. and Mexico have lost their measles-free status. The U.S. eliminated domestic measles spread in 2000, but national vaccination rates have since fallen below the 95% coverage needed to prevent outbreaks.