Kindergarten vaccine exemptions hit record high

U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates have continued their downward trend for the fourth consecutive year, with exemption rates reaching an unprecedented 4.2% during the 2025-2026 school year. This affects an estimated 155,000 children nationally, with the majority of exemptions being for nonmedical reasons. Experts attribute this rise in exemptions and the fall in vaccination rates to turmoil and confusion within federal health guidance systems over the past year. Public health officials are concerned as vaccination coverage for measles-mumps-rubella shots has fallen below the 95% threshold needed to prevent outbreaks. The nation is currently experiencing its worst year for measles since 1991, with over a quarter-million kindergartners susceptible to the disease. This situation arises as school and health officials across the country urge parents to vaccinate their children for the upcoming school year, emphasizing the importance of vaccines for maintaining children's health and school attendance. State-level exemption rates vary significantly, with Idaho reporting 17.5% of kindergartners having an exemption while Connecticut reports fewer than 0.5%.