CDC reports decline in kindergarten vaccination rates and rise in non-medical exemptions
CDC data for the 2025-26 school year show a slight drop in MMR vaccination among U.S. kindergartners and a nationwide non-medical exemption rate that reached 4%, the highest on record.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released data on Monday showing that the proportion of kindergarten students receiving recommended vaccines fell during the 2025-26 school year. The measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) coverage slipped to 92.4%, a decrease of 0.1 percentage point, leaving roughly 280,000 children unvaccinated for MMR.
At the same time, exemptions for at least one vaccine rose, driven primarily by non-medical exemptions that now affect 4% of kindergartners nationwide. Among the 46 states with sufficient data, 42 reported an increase in non-medical exemption rates, and 23 states recorded exemption levels of 5% or higher.
The report also includes state-by-state figures for DTaP, polio and varicella (chickenpox) vaccinations, though the headline figures focus on the overall downward trend in coverage and the growth in exemption rates.
"The data highlight a concerning shift in vaccination uptake and exemption use among young children," a CDC spokesperson said.
The findings come shortly after a recent executive order signed by President Donald Trump that sought to modify child vaccination guidelines, including proposals to extend the interval between doses.