Pittsburgh's Dangerous Drop in Vaccination Rates episode artwork

EPISODE · May 18, 2026 · 29 MIN

Pittsburgh's Dangerous Drop in Vaccination Rates

from City Cast Pittsburgh · host City Cast

Measles is on the rise across the U.S., and experts say outbreaks aren't hypothetical anymore. At least 40,000 PA students are missing required vaccines, and many schools have dropped below the 95% herd immunity threshold that helps stop epidemic-like spread. (Some Pittsburgh-area schools are dangerously low in the 70% range.) Why are districts letting kids attend school without vaccines or valid exemptions, and why isn't the state consistently stepping in? Mike Wereschagin, a reporter and editor with the Post-Gazette's investigative team, joins host Megan Harris to discuss his revelatory investigation and where we go from here. Mike and his team built a database where you can look up the vaccination rate at any school in PA, something the state itself doesn't provide. Check it out here. Learn more about the sponsors of this Monday, May 18th episode: PGH Cultural Trust PGH Book Fest Window Nation Pittsburgh Steelers The Frick Pittsburgh Become a member of City Cast Pittsburgh at membership.citycast.fm. Want more Pittsburgh news?  Sign up for our daily morning newsletter. We’re on Instagram @CityCastPgh. Text or leave us a voicemail at 412-212-8893. Interested in advertising with City Cast? Find more info here.

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 18, 2026

Embed this episode

NOW PLAYING

Pittsburgh's Dangerous Drop in Vaccination Rates

0:00 29:56

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of City Cast Pittsburgh?

This episode is 29 minutes long.

When was this City Cast Pittsburgh episode published?

This episode was published on May 18, 2026.

Can I download this City Cast Pittsburgh episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!