US childhood vaccination rates fall again as exemptions set another record

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

NEW YORK -- 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 new federal data.

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.

People are also reading... Dairi-O coming to Statesville? Restaurant seeks city approvals for Turnersburg Highway location 2 Iredell County elementary schools get new principals; 10 assistant principals named Mooresville pet groomer charged with 4 counts of animal cruelty after videos shared online Mooresville police: Vehicle set on fire with person inside; Iredell County man charged Man dials 911 on accident. By the end of the day, he was charged with three felonies Here's what we know about Newton police lieutenant charged with murder in June 26 shooting Six to see: Don't miss these 6 high school football games for Iredell County teams this fall Former Statesville Greyhound football standout writes book to encourage youth Officials: Gunman who killed 4 was trying to get to NFL offices and claimed to have CTE Out of Our Past: 100 years ago, Iredell County couple was arrested for living together Statesville man wanted for murder of 25-year-old found, arrested. Victim was killed in June. South Iredell student's elaborate duct tape tuxedo wins national contest and a $15,000 scholarship Lake Norman volleyball looks to 'reload' with familiar face coaching 7 questions & answers about immigration enforcement in Nebraska Traditional cigarette prices increase for third time in 2025

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 Centers for Disease Control and Prevention traditionally releases the vaccination coverage data in its flagship publication, the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. CDC officials usually speak about the trends and possible explanations, and stress the importance of vaccinations. This year, the agency quietly posted the data online and -- when asked about it -- emailed a statement.

"The decision to vaccinate is a personal one. Parents should consult their health care providers on options for their families," the statement said. It added, "Vaccination remains the most effective way to protect children from serious diseases like measles and whooping cough, which can lead to hospitalization and long-term health complications."

Wellness Trump administration will launch a new private health tracking system with Big Tech's help AMANDA SEITZ Associated Press

Listen now and subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Stitcher | RSS Feed | SoundStack | All Of Our Podcasts

Wellness Trump revives the Presidential Fitness Test, a rite of passage for schoolchildren for decades By MICHELLE L. PRICE and SEUNG MIN KIM - Associated Press

Public health officials focus on vaccination rates for kindergartners because schools can be cauldrons for germs and launching pads for community outbreaks.

For years, those rates were high, thanks largely to school attendance mandates that required key vaccinations. All U.S. states and territories require that children attending child care centers and schools be vaccinated against a number of diseases, including, measles, mumps, polio, tetanus, whooping cough and chickenpox.

All states allow exemptions for children with medical conditions that prevent them from receiving certain vaccines. Most also permit exemptions for religious or other nonmedical reasons.

Wellness Forever changed by diseases that vaccines can prevent, families share their stories LAURA UNGAR Associated Press

In the past decade, the percentage of kindergartners with medical exemptions held steady, at about 0.2%, while the percentage with nonmedical exemptions rose.

The rates can be influenced by policies that make it harder or easier to obtain exemptions, and by attitudes among families and doctors about the need to get children vaccinated. Online misinformation and the political divide that emerged around COVID-19 vaccines led more parents to question routine childhood vaccinations, experts say.

According to the CDC data, 15.4% of kindergartners had an exemption to one or more vaccines in Idaho in the last school year, but fewer than 0.5% did in Connecticut.

As more parents abstain from vaccinations, children from low-income households may pay the price As more parents abstain from vaccinations, children from low-income households may pay the price Systemic barriers limit vaccine access in kids under 24 months old Despite the impact of the VCF program, barriers to vaccination remain Spike in kindergarteners receiving vaccine exemptions may threaten herd immunity Build your health & fitness knowledge

Sign up here to get the latest health & fitness updates in your inbox every week!

Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy.