By The Cocalico School District and the Lancaster Academy of Performing Arts are assisting the state Department of Health with contact tracing following the confirmation of five measles cases in Lancaster County on Monday.
According to district spokesman Allison Ohline, individuals in two Cocalico School District buildings were impacted. Ohline stated the district received a call from the state “regarding possible measles exposure at two of our buildings.”
“We followed DOH protocols, and the relevant personnel and families were informed,” Ohline said.
The Lancaster Academy of Performing Arts, a Christian educational and performance arts institution on Columbia Avenue in Lancaster Township, is also involved in the tracing efforts. The academy serves 230 homeschoolers in grades one through 12. While state authorities acknowledged they were collaborating with the school on Wednesday, a request for comment from the academy was not immediately answered.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, contact tracing involves identifying who has been in close vicinity to measles patients and the locations those infected persons have visited.
The process is crucial as public health officials work to stop the spread of the highly infectious and potentially fatal illness. Because measles symptoms can take up to two weeks to manifest, an infected person may unintentionally transfer the virus without realizing they are sick. When a contact is identified, they are given instructions on how to prevent further spread, such as home quarantine.
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Commissioner: Vaccine is safe, effective
The update on the exposure came the same day Lancaster County Commissioner Alice Yoder encouraged parents to discuss vaccinations for healthy children with their family physicians. The Department of Health verified that the five measles cases in Lancaster County were all unvaccinated individuals.
“We are facing a concerning trend,” Yoder stated during a regular meeting of the Lancaster County Commissioners. “Vaccination coverage has declined nationally and locally.”
Yoder noted that measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases can be avoided. “That only makes me a little more worried about this. We can take charge of this,” she said.
In Lancaster County, vaccination rates have decreased recently, attributed largely to pandemic-related developments. Lockdowns resulted in fewer children attending regularly scheduled doctor’s appointments for vaccinations, and the pandemic also led to increased skepticism regarding vaccines in general.
State Department of Health reports show that 88.5% of kindergarteners in Lancaster County were vaccinated against measles (MMR) in 2024–2025—well below the 95% threshold required for herd immunity.
Statistics published by the Washington Post in late 2025 highlight varying immunization rates within the Cocalico School District:
- Denver Elementary School: 91% MMR rate among 78 pupils.
- Adamstown Elementary: 95.2% MMR rate among 62 pupils.
- Reamstown Elementary: 91.2% MMR rate among 68 children.
Data for the Lancaster Academy of Performing Arts was not included in that report.
Yoder, who began her career as a critical care registered nurse before being elected commissioner in 2023, has a long history in community health. She served as executive director of community health at Penn Medicine Lancaster General Health until 2023 and founded its Wellness Center in 1992.
She pointed out the risk to vulnerable populations: “There are other kids out there who are unable to receive vaccinations and who suffer from ailments that might be fatal if they contract one of the diseases that are prevented by vaccinations.”
Neil Ruhland, press secretary for the Department of Health, stated Wednesday that public health data shows two doses of the MMR vaccination are 97% effective. The first dose is typically administered between 12 and 15 months, and the second between ages 4 and 6.
“I believe in facts and science,” Yoder declared. “The measles vaccine is safe, highly effective and one of the most important tools we have to protect our community, especially infants.”
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