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.
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 vaccination numbers were posted as the U.S. experiences its worst year for measles spread in more than three decades, with more than 1,300 cases so far.
“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 possible that this year’s outbreaks may spur more parents to get their children vaccinated before they go to school, said O’Leary, a University of Colorado pediatric infectious diseases specialist.
But Dr. Philip Huang isn’t optimistic. Texas was particularly hard hit by measles this year, with more than half of the cases reported nationally.
