Mumps Outbreak: Data Show Lake Washington School District Immunization Rates

REDMOND, WA - Health officials have been watching a mumps outbreak in Auburn grow over the last week, and at last check there were 44 cases and the outbreak had spread to neighboring cities Kent, Federal Way, and Pacific. Meanwhile, the U.S. is seeing the largest number of cases in a decade, the Centers for Disease Control has said.

King County Health Officer Dr. Jeffrey Duchin has said that this is the largest number of mumps cases in the county since 2007, and has implored residents to get vaccinated. About 56 percent of those who have come down with mumps have been vaccinated, but health officials say it's the best way to avoid contracting the virus.

To prevent outbreaks, health officials aim for "herd immunity," which is the level where immunization rates in a given population are higher than 83 percent. But according to King County data, not all schools inside the Lake Washington School District are above that level.

In Washington, schoolchildren are required to get certain vaccinations - Hepatitis B, chicken pox, measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) - unless they get an exemption, either for religious, medical, or other reasons. The Auburn outbreak began in children under age 17, and on Wednesday health officials asked the Auburn district to keep 200 children out of school as a precaution against further spread of the virus.

Here are the immunization levels according to King County for the Lake Washington School District (data was not available for all schools;this list also contains private schools inside the LWSD borders):

• Cascadia Montessori School - 100%
• Countryside Montessori School - 100%
• Northern Lights Montessori School - 100%
• Northern Lights Montessori School Willow Campus - 100%
• The Sammamish Montessori School - 100%
• Overlake School - 97.50%
• Kirkland Children's School - 96%
• Eastside Preparatory School - 95.90%
• Wilder Elementary - 94.90%
• Northlake Preschool/Northlake Academy - 94.60%
• Explorer Community School - 94.50%
• The Bear Creek School - 94.20%
• Holy Family Parish School - 94%
• Dickinson Elementary - 93.50%
• Rockwell Elementary - 93%
• Alcott Elementary - 92.80%
• Einstein Elementary - 92.80%
• Frost Elementary - 92.50%
• Audubon Elementary - 92.40%
• Redmond High School - 92.30%
• Franklin Elementary - 92.20%
• Rush Elementary - 92.20%
• Muir Elementary - 92.10%
• McAuliffe Elementary - 91.70%
• Juanita High - 91.50%
• Keller Elementary - 91.50%
• Medina Academy - 91%
• Rosa Parks Elementary - 91%
• Lake Washington High School - 90.70%
• Redmond Elementary - 90.60%
• Kirk Elementary - 90.40%
• Evergreen Middle School - 90.30%
• Lakeview Elementary - 90.30%
• Twain Elementary - 90.10%
• Mann Elementary - 89.20%
• Emerson High School - 88.50%
• Futures School - 88.30%
• Faith Lutheran School of Redmond - 88.20%
• Blackwell Elementary - 87.80%
• Sandburg Elementary - 87.80%
• Stella Schola - 87.80%
• Juanita Elementary - 86.10%
• Community School - 85.90%
• Thoreau Elementary - 85.70%
• Bell Elementary - 85.30%
• Finn Hill Junior High - 84.80%
• Mead Elementary - 84.60%
• International Community School - 84.30%
• Rose Hill Elementary - 84.30%
• Rose Hill Middle School - 83.60%
• Environmental and Adventure School - 83.50%
• Redmond Middle School - 82.10%
• Kamiakin Middle School - 79.30%
• Kirkland Middle School - 72%
• Discovery School - 71.80%
• Eaton Arrowsmith Academy - 69.20%
• Emerson K-12 - 68.80%
• Northstar Middle School - 65.60%

You can view the full King County immunization data-set here.