US Childhood Vaccination Rates Decline Again Amid Rising Exemptions

U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates inched down again last year and the share of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to federal data posted Thursday.

The fraction of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 4.1%, up from 3.7% the year before. It's the third record-breaking year in a row for the exemption rate, and the vast majority are parents withholding shots for nonmedical reasons.

Meanwhile, 92.5% of 2024-25 kindergartners got their required measles-mumps-rubella shots, down slightly from the previous year. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the vaccination rate was 95% — the level that makes it unlikely that a single infection will spark a disease cluster or outbreak.

"The concern, of course, is that with a further dip in the (vaccination) coverage, we're going to see even more measles in the coming months," said Dr. Sean O'Leary, of the American Academy of Pediatrics.

“It's crazy,” said Dr. Philip Huang, Dallas County's health director.

"The decision to vaccinate is a personal one. Parents should consult their health care providers on options for their families," the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) statement said, adding; "Vaccination remains the most effective way to protect children from serious diseases like measles and whooping cough, which can lead to hospitalization and long-term health complications."

O'Leary noted the changes in the CDC messaging, which places personal choice before community protection.

"To sort of weaken the language or weaken the messaging that they're sending is very concerning, because what they say does matter," he said.

Public health officials focus on vaccination rates for kindergartners because schools can be cauldrons for germs and launching pads for community outbreaks.

In the last decade, the percentage of kindergartners with medical exemptions has held steady, at about 0.2%. But the percentage with nonmedical exemptions has risen.

According to the CDC data, 15.4% of kindergartners had an exemption to one or more vaccines in Idaho in the last school year. But fewer than 0.5% did in Connecticut.