Vaccination Rates for Kindergarteners Are Falling, and Exemptions Are Increasing
-Routine vaccination rates for kindergarteners in the U.S. are dropping, while more families are requesting exemptions from school vaccine requirements. These trends began during the COVID-19 pandemic and have continued, driven in part by growing vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.
What’s Happening with Vaccination Rates?
The percentage of kindergarteners up to date with their required vaccinations has dropped below pre-pandemic levels. In the 2023-2024 school year:
- Fewer than 93% of kindergarteners had all required vaccines, like MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis), polio, and chickenpox.
- This is lower than 95% in 2019-2020 (before the pandemic) and below the 95% “target” needed to prevent the spread of measles in communities.
- Around 280,000 schoolchildren were not vaccinated against measles, putting schools at risk for outbreaks.
In 2024, there were 16 measles outbreaks compared to only four in 2023, though the overall risk of widespread transmission remains low. More states now have vaccination rates below the 95% goal:
- 39 states fell below the target in 2023-2024, compared to 28 before the pandemic.
- 14 states had rates below 90%, up from just three states in 2019-2020.
Vaccination rates vary widely by state:
- Idaho had the lowest MMR vaccination rate at 79.6%, while West Virginia had the highest at 98.3%.
- Some communities within states also have groups of unvaccinated children, which increases the risk of outbreaks in those areas.
What’s Happening with Exemptions?
At the same time, more families are using exemptions to avoid vaccinating their children.
- Exemptions increased from 2.5% in 2019-2020 to 3.3% in 2023-2024, the highest national exemption rate ever recorded.
- Most of this increase comes from non-medical exemptions, which rose from 2.2% to 3.1%, while medical exemptions slightly decreased.
Fourteen states now have exemption rates over 5%, compared to eight states before the pandemic. Higher exemption rates make it harder for schools to reach safe vaccination levels.
The Role of Politics and Public Opinion
Public opinion on vaccines has become more divided along political lines. President-elect Donald Trump has supported anti-vaccine attitudes in the past. During his campaign, he promised to eliminate vaccine and mask mandates in schools and threatened to cut funding to schools with such requirements. Trump also said he would appoint Robert F. Kennedy Jr., known for spreading vaccine misinformation, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services.
If the new administration questions vaccine safety or changes the current system for recommending vaccines, experts worry it could lead to even lower vaccination rates among children.
Why It Matters
Falling vaccination rates and rising exemptions increase the risk of outbreaks for diseases like measles, which can spread quickly and cause serious illness. Experts stress the importance of maintaining high vaccination coverage to protect children, schools, and communities from