Full Breakdown
Kindergarten Vaccination Rates Slip as Exemptions Hit Record High
8/17/2026, 11:57:37 PM
Recent Trends and Federal Influence
Federal data show that U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates have declined for a fourth straight year, while the share of children with exemptions has risen to an all-time high. The increase in non-medical exemptions occurred in 41 states and the District of Columbia. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a prominent anti-vaccine voice, and President Donald Trump have both promoted revisions to childhood-vaccination guidance, including a proposal to space out shots across separate visits. Dr.
Numbers Showing the Decline
- Measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) coverage: 92.4 % of kindergarteners in the 2025-26 school year, down from the previous year and well below the pre-COVID level of 95 % needed for herd immunity.
- Estimated unvaccinated children: about 155,000 nationally for the 2025-26 cohort, representing more than a quarter of a million children susceptible to measles.
- Medical exemptions: steady at roughly 0.2 % of kindergartners.
- Non-medical exemptions: 17.5 % in Idaho versus fewer than 0.5 % in Connecticut, illustrating uneven geographic distribution.
- Other vaccines: modest declines were also recorded for polio, diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis, and chickenpox; hepatitis B coverage remained stable.
Official Responses
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) posted a brief statement noting the slight decline and urging parents to discuss vaccination options with their doctors. The CDC continues to release its coverage data through the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, though the agency now posts the figures online rather than in the traditional print format.
Verbatim Quotes
- “The root cause of this is primarily because there's so much chaos and confusion in vaccination recommendation systems in the last year or so,” — Dr. James Campbell, of the American Academy of Pediatrics
