@EdWorkingPaper{ai25-1358,
title = "The West Texas Measles Outbreak and Student Absences",
author = "Thomas S. Dee, Sofia Wilson",
institution = "Annenberg Institute at Brown University",
number = "1358",
year = "2025",
month = "December",
URL = "http://www.edworkingpapers.com/ai25-1358",
abstract = {Declining child-vaccination rates are driving a measles resurgence in the US, yet little evidence documents how these outbreaks may disrupt schooling. Using daily absence data from a school district at the center of the West Texas outbreak, this preregistered analysis finds absences increased 41 percent relative to the within-year variation from two prior years, with larger effects among younger students. This increase is 10 times greater than expected from confirmed infections, suggesting substantial precautionary absences and possible infection undercounting. These findings provide early evidence on the impact of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks on learning opportunities, with implications for broader child development.},
}