UW-Platteville Asking If Students Vaccinated as Measles Outbreak Hits State
Students asked to voluntarily disclose their status. Other UW campuses may follow suit.
A sign on UW-Platteville’s campus. Miranda Suarez/WPR
The University of Wisconsin-Platteville is asking students to voluntarily submit their vaccination status as the number of measles cases continues to rise in southwestern Wisconsin.
As of Aug. 28, there were 92 confirmed and six probable measles cases in Grant, Iowa and Lafayette counties, according to the Department of Health Services. There have been a total of 100 cases in Wisconsin so far in 2026.
No cases have been reported on UW-Platteville’s campus so far, but high-density campus environments present unique vulnerabilities for rapid airborne transmission of measles, according to DHS.
DHS is recommending that college campuses actively verify student measles immunization status and proactively recommend MMR vaccination for all students who do not have documentation of receiving two doses of the vaccine.
In an interview with WPR’s “Wisconsin Today,” UW-Platteville Chancellor Tammy Evetovich said students will not be penalized for not sharing their records or not being vaccinated.
Evetovich said she respects people’s different views on vaccinations.
“We are simply preparing,” Evetovich said. “We’re preparing our measles prevention and response plan. The health and safety of our campus community, our students, faculty, and staff is our highest priority, and so we’re working with public health officials to make sure that we have a strong plan in place.”
The Universities of Wisconsin Board of Regents have left it up to individual campuses and chancellors to decide vaccine policies.
In February, UW-Madison was the first Wisconsin campus to make an announcement concerning vaccines after a measles case was confirmed at the university.
Madison students are now required to share their vaccination status for multiple diseases. If they don’t, UW-Madison students will be prohibited from registering for classes.
Madison students don’t have to be vaccinated. They only have to report their status.
Measles is a highly contagious disease caused by a virus that can spread through the air and person-to-person contact. The disease can cause serious health problems, including pneumonia, brain damage and deafness, according to DHS.
Symptoms include a runny nose; a high fever; fatigue; cough; red, watery eyes or conjunctivitis (pink eye); and a red rash with raised bumps that begins at the hairline and moves to the arms and legs three to five days after symptoms begin.
Universities of Wisconsin spokesperson Mark Pitsch said in recent months, other UW campuses have started to have discussions about MMR vaccination and disclosure policies.
UW-Platteville asks if students are vaccinated for measles as regional cases rise was originally published by Wisconsin Public Radio.
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