Kaiser study flags two North Bay measles vaccination hotspots

Researchers analyzing Kaiser Permanente Northern California records identified seven geographic clusters with lower-than-expected measles vaccination among 7-year-olds, including two clusters in Napa and Sonoma counties. Despite an overall regional vaccination rate of about 97.6%, these pockets could raise local transmission risk and help officials target vaccination campaigns and surveillance, though the study is limited to Kaiser members and doesn’t capture uninsured or non‑Kaiser populations. With rising U.S. measles cases and Napa’s earlier local case this year, the findings highlight the value of localized vaccination efforts.