Religious Immunization Waivers Surge in Washoe County Schools

RENO, Nev. — Religious immunization waivers in the Washoe County School District have more than doubled over the past decade, with schools in affluent neighborhoods leading in exemptions, according to an analysis by the Reno Gazette Journal.

In the current school year, the district granted more than 2,015 waivers for religious reasons, a significant increase of over 121% from 910 waivers granted in 2015. This trend raises concerns about the implications for public health, particularly as cases of preventable diseases like measles rise.

Of the six Washoe County schools with the highest vaccination waiver rates for religious reasons, all are located in affluent areas. Contrarily, the schools with the highest vaccination rates are predominantly Title 1 schools, which serve a high percentage of students living in poverty. All but seven of the district’s 29 schools with the lowest vaccination waiver rates — where fewer than 10 students have religious waivers — are Title 1 schools.

The state mandates immunizations for several diseases, including diphtheria, tetanus, polio, hepatitis A and B, varicella, measles, mumps, rubella, and pertussis. Parents can seek religious or medical exemptions to these requirements. Despite the increase in waivers, Washoe County School District (WCSD) has seen an overall decrease in student enrollment, with the count dropping from 63,724 in the 2015-16 school year to 59,677 in the 2024-25 school year, a decrease of approximately 6.8%.

Health experts emphasize that measles is highly contagious and spreads easily, being transmitted through the air. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine has been lauded for its role in eliminating measles in the U.S. by the year 2000. However, a recent outbreak in Texas and New Mexico has reported over 250 cases, with infections cascading into other states such as California, resulting in two fatalities among unvaccinated individuals.

As vaccination waiver rates continue to rise, the implications for public health and the safety of the student population become increasingly critical. Of the 103 schools in the district, 29 have also granted medical exceptions for unvaccinated students, with each school reporting fewer than 10 medical waivers. Due to the limited numbers, specific figures for these medical exemptions were not disclosed.