Kindergarten Vaccine Exemptions Hit Record High Nationwide

Kindergarten vaccine exemptions reached 4.2% in the 2025-26 school year, a record for the fourth straight year, CDC data published Monday show. Vaccination coverage fell for measles, polio, and several other required childhood shots.

• 155,000 kindergartners held exemptions to one or more required vaccines.
• 92.4% of kindergartners received MMR shots, down from a pre-pandemic rate of 95%.
• Exemption rates rose in 41 states and Washington, D.C.
• 17.5% of Idaho kindergartners had an exemption; fewer than 0.5% did in Connecticut.

Why it matters: The 95% MMR vaccination threshold is the level at which a single infection is unlikely to spark a wider outbreak. About 280,000 kindergartners attended school without documented completion of the MMR series, and nearly half of states now exceed a 5% exemption rate.

• The U.S. is experiencing its worst measles year since 1991.
• Clusters of under-vaccinated children are unevenly distributed geographically, increasing localized outbreak risk.

How 28 sources split on this story

Where they split: Coverage divides on what is driving the decline: whether responsibility lies with the current administration's changes to vaccine guidance, or whether the trend began under the prior administration during the pandemic.

What’s next: Trump signed an executive order in August directing changes to childhood vaccination recommendations.

• Some states have already begun departing from the CDC's traditional schedule.
• Will the hepatitis B policy changes enacted in 2025 show up in future kindergarten vaccination data?
• Which states, if any, will tighten exemption laws in response to the new figures?
• How much of the exemption increase reflects shifting parental attitudes versus changes in state policy?