Full Breakdown
Declining Kindergarten Vaccination Rates Heighten U.S. Measles Risk
8/27/2026, 12:44:01 AM
Core Event: Nationwide Drop in Kindergarten Immunization Coverage
CDC’s 2025-2026 kindergarten dataset shows the measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) series completed by 92.4 % of U.S. kindergartners, down from 92.5 % the prior year. DTaP coverage fell to 92.0 %. Non-medical exemptions rose to 4.2 % (about 155,000 children); medical exemptions stayed near 0.2 %. The CDC notes 280,000 children attended school without documentation of the two-dose MMR series. As of August 20 2026, the CDC reported 2,777 confirmed measles cases nationwide.
Background & Context
The decline follows pandemic-related disruptions and growing vaccine skepticism. An executive order signed by President Donald Trump in 2025 directed the separation of the combined MMR shot into three injections, a move health experts warned would confuse parents. Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has promoted a reduced childhood-vaccine schedule, prompting the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) to label the change “unscientific and dangerous.” State exemption rules vary; roughly two-thirds of states prohibit personal exemptions, and those that allow them tend to have lower coverage.
Data & Statistics
- National MMR coverage: 92.4 % (2025-26) – below the 95 % herd-immunity benchmark.
- National DTaP coverage: 92.0 % (2025-26).
- Non-medical exemptions: 4.2 % (up from 3.6 % in 2024-25).
- Hawaii: MMR 89.3 % (2025-26); DTaP 88.8 %.
- New Jersey: Preschool immunization 91 % (2024-25); exemption rate 5 %.
- Austin ISD, Texas: Coverage rose above 97 % after an in-house nursing program.
- Texas statewide: Conscientious exemption rate 5.2 % after 2025 legislation easing paperwork.
- Pennsylvania (Bucks County): MMR 95.6 % (2025-26), down from 97.6 % in 2019-20; 12 schools reported kindergarten MMR below 90 %.
- Lancaster County, PA: MMR ?88 %; two measles-related deaths reported in 2026.
Official Statements & Responses
- The CDC continues to cite 95 % as the level needed to prevent sustained transmission.
- Dr. Sarah Kemble, Hawaii state epidemiologist, called the trend “worrisome” and urged school-based clinics.
- Lori Handy, associate director of the Vaccine Education Center at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia, said public trust has shifted, fueling misinformation.
- Robert F. Kennedy Jr., health secretary, testified that the measles vaccine prevents infection in 97 % of recipients.
- The AAP publicly criticized the federal schedule revision as “unscientific and dangerous.”
Criticism & Opposition
The AAP has challenged the Trump administration’s order to split the MMR vaccine, arguing it lacks scientific justification and could undermine herd immunity.
On-the-Ground Reports
- In Pennsylvania, two unvaccinated residents died from measles, the first U.S. measles-related deaths this year.
- Texas experienced a “West Texas” outbreak in 2025; heightened awareness afterward helped improve local coverage.
- Hawaii reported a 10-year high of 200 pertussis cases, reinforcing concerns about broader vaccine declines.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
- Measles case counts differ: CDC lists 2,777 cases as of August 20 2026, while another report noted 2,566 cases by August 14 2026.
- Exemption rates are reported as 4.2 % nationally and 5 % in some states, highlighting the need for more granular data.
What’s Next
The CDC will continue monthly updates of kindergarten vaccination and exemption data. Hawaii’s Department of Health plans to expand its Healthy Hawaii Partners Program and issue fall vaccine recommendations later this year. Several states, including Pennsylvania, have pledged to align with AAP guidelines despite federal policy shifts, aiming to close immunity gaps before the 2026-2027 school year.
