Kindergarten routine vaccination continue to drop

Routine vaccination rates for kindergarten children continue to decrease in the United States, while exemptions from school vaccination requirements, in particular non-medical exemptions, have increased. These trends started during the COVID-19 pandemic and continued over time (Figure 1). Recent trends seem to be linked to the increase in the hesitation of vaccines, partially fueled by disinformation of vaccines. The past few years have seen more skepticism among the public on the safety and efficiency of measles vaccines, a drop in the confidence of health authorities in general, and more and more supporting opinions on the requirements of vaccines. This issue of the number provides an update of the latest trends in children’s routine vaccination and exemption rates.

While states and local jurisdictions, not the federal government, set the requirements of vaccines for schoolchildren, the federal government has a long -standing system based on evidence to approve and recommend vaccines for the public, including the child vaccination calendar, which is used by states, pediatrics and parents. The Secretary of the Ministry of Health and Social Services (HHS), Robert F. Kennedy Jr., has led recent efforts to re -examine the federal infant vaccine calendar and replace members of the Vaccines Consultative Committee (APIP) of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The KFF KFF survey of August 2025 revealed that there was confusion among the public about the American vaccine policy, half of the RFK JR. public thought has made “major” (26%) or “minor” (26%) changes to the vaccine policy while the other half says that it “does not know enough to say” (40%) or say that no modification has been made (7%). In addition, half (48%) of parents are not sure that federal health agencies currently recommend that healthy children receive a COVVI-19 vaccine this fall or not. Although there have been no changes from other childhood vaccinations of childhood, the CDC no longer officially recommends the COVVI-19 vaccine for healthy children, and COVVI-19 vaccination rates in children are low. Changes (and confusion on these changes) at the federal level associated with a reduction in federal government support for states and premises health services could further reduce vaccination rates in children.

What are the recent trends in routine vaccination rates for kindergarten children?

The share of children of kindergarten up to date on their vaccinations continues to decrease. The data collected and aggregated annually by the CDC from programs of immunization of states and premises revealed that 92.5% of children in kindergarten had been vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) and polio and 92.1% against DTAP (Diphheria, Tetanus and Acellular Pertussis) for the school year 2024-2025. This is 95% down on the three vaccines for the 2019-2020 school year (pre-countryic) and below the last decade coverage levels. During each school year since the start of the pandemic, the ROR vaccination rate fell below the “target” rate of 2030%healthy people of 95%, the level necessary to prevent community transmission of measles, a very contagious and deadly virus. This means that around 286,000 planters have not been vaccinated and unprotected against measles, and research shows that the most vaccinated children in a school, the greater risk of an epidemic becomes. While measles has been officially “eliminated” from the United States since 2000, the United States has reported more cases of measles in the first half of 2025 than during the year since 1992, which has put the status of elimination of the United States potentially at risk.

More than three-quarters (39) of the states had mmr vaccination rates lower than the “target” rate of 95% for the school year 2024-2025, an increase of 28 states during the 2019-2020 school year (pre-countryic) (Figure 2). In addition, 16 states have declared rates of less than 90% for the 2024-2025 school year, against only three states during the 2019-2020 school year. In the past year only, more than half of the states have gone down on vaccination rates in all states required vaccines, including MMR, DTAP, polio and chickenpox. There is also a substantial variation in vaccination rates between states, ROR coverage rates among children’s gardens for the last school year varied from a minimum of 78.5% in Idaho to a 98.2% summit in Connecticut. There may also be a variation in vaccination coverage within states and, when there are clusters of people who are not vaccinated within a specific community, the risk of an epidemic is higher.

What are the recent trends in exemption rates for kindergarten children’s vaccines?

At the same time, the share of kindergarten children with an exemption from one or more vaccinations required has increased. The share of children demanding an exemption from one or more vaccinations increased from 2.5% during the 2019-2020 to 3.6% school year during the 2024-2025 school year, the highest national exemption rate to date. The increases in non -medical exemptions have represented recent increases; Non-medical exemptions increased from 2.2% to 3.4% while medical exemptions actually dropped from 0.3% to 0.2% from 2019-2020 to 2024-2025. Although an apparently low increase in non -medical exemptions, any increase limits the overall share of children capable of being vaccinated and making it more difficult to achieve vaccination rate targets. Studies have shown that higher exemption rates are associated with lower vaccination coverage and an increased risk of flambés in diseases.

Seventeen During the 2024-2025 school year. These states could not reach 95% or 95% vaccination coverage rates, even if all non -exempt children were vaccinated (the rates indicated here are for exemptions to one or more vaccines, so potentially achievable coverage rates could vary depending on the type of vaccine). In the past year only, 37 states (including DC) experienced an increase in the share of children’s gardens demanding an exemption for one or more vaccines. Since 2025, all states and DC require children to be vaccinated against certain diseases, including MMR, in order to frequent public schools, although exemptions are authorized in certain circumstances. All states authorize a medical exemption and 47 states (including DC) allow an exemption from religious or personal belief (or both). In recent years, certain groups and heads of state have prompted to soften the requirements and to expand non -medical exemptions for schoolchildren while others have proposed the elimination of non -medical exemptions.