CDC reports decline in kindergarten vaccination rates and rise in nonmedical exemptions
CDC data for the 2025-2026 school year show a slight drop in MMR coverage among U.S. kindergartners and a nationwide nonmedical exemption rate of 4%, with most states seeing increases.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data showing that the proportion of kindergarten students receiving the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine fell to 92.4% for the 2025-2026 school year, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point. The agency estimated that about 280,000 kindergartners lacked the MMR shot.
Overall vaccination coverage for DTaP, polio and varicella also declined, while exemptions for at least one vaccine rose. Non-medical exemptions reached a national rate of 4%, the highest recorded level. Among the 46 states with sufficient data, 42 reported higher non-medical exemption rates, and 23 states saw exemptions of 5% or more.
The report was issued a week after a presidential executive order sought to modify child-vaccination guidelines, including proposals to extend intervals between doses.