Stay Informed: January 2026 Vaccine Guidelines for Kids

Vaccines keep kids healthy by preventing serious illness and help limit the spread of infectious disease in schools and at home.

What Washington Families Should Know

Bellevue School District continues to follow Washington State Department of Health (DOH) immunization guidelines. State immunization recommendations, aligned with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), are based on decades of research showing vaccines are effective and essential for protecting health.

When children are vaccinated, outbreaks of preventable diseases are reduced, leading to fewer missed school days, less time parents need to take off work, and a lower risk of serious health complications or hospitalization.

Last week, Washington state confirmed its first measles outbreak since 2023. The outbreak includes three children in Snohomish County. Additionally, one individual in Kittitas County has tested positive for measles. We are urging all families to vaccinate their children against measles.

The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine is the strongest protection against measles and is safe and highly effective: one dose is 93% effective, and two doses are 97% effective.

Getting the MMR vaccine is safer than getting sick with measles, and it protects your family and your community. Children normally get the MMR vaccine at 1 year and 4 years of age. If you haven’t been vaccinated against measles as a child, you can get the MMR vaccine as an adult.

Most people who get measles are unvaccinated.

About Measles 

Measles is a highly contagious virus that spreads through the air when an infected person coughs, sneezes, breathes, or talks. The virus can remain airborne for up to two hours after an infected person has left the area, so others can become infected even without direct contact. Measles can cause serious health complications, especially for babies and young children.  

Symptoms (appear 7-21 days after exposure): 

• High fever, cough, runny nose 
• Red, watery eyes 
• A rash that begins on the face and spreads down the body 

If you have symptoms or believe you were exposed to measles, call your healthcare provider right away. For infants who are too young to be vaccinated and for other susceptible individuals who have been exposed but do not have symptoms, receiving the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine or immune globulin given within 72 hours of exposure can reduces the risk of developing measles.

What to Do Next 

For more information, read the DOH Statement on Federal Changes to Childhood Vaccine Recommendations. 

Thank you for helping us keep every student healthy and ready to learn.  

Karla Rimmer, MSN, RN, ESA 
Health Services Coordinator