Kindergarten vaccination rates dip slightly as measles cases rise in the United States

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a modest 0.1% decline in measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage among children entering kindergarten during the 2025-26 school year. The drop translates to roughly 280,000 kindergartners lacking documented completion of the vaccine series, health officials said.

The overall decrease follows a broader trend of falling vaccination rates that began after the COVID-19 pandemic, with variations across regions and school districts. "There’s going to be huge drops in some regions and in some school districts, and hardly any drops in others," said Robin Mejia, a biostatistics professor at the University of Washington School of Public Health.

During the same period, requests for non-medical exemptions from school vaccine requirements have risen steadily since the 2020-21 school year, while medical exemption rates have stayed flat. Only ten states maintained the 95% coverage level needed for herd immunity against measles.

Measles cases have surged, with more than 2,700 reported in 2026, and 94% of those patients were unvaccinated or had unknown vaccination status, according to CDC figures. The disease, declared eliminated in the United States in 2000, has already caused three deaths in recent years, all among unvaccinated individuals.

Survey data from the Kaiser Family Foundation indicate a correlation between parents’ belief in vaccine misinformation and their likelihood to delay or skip vaccinations. "There’s a correlation there," said Lunna Lopes, senior survey manager at KFF, noting that the relationship persists after accounting for age, education and partisanship.

Public health experts warn that even small percentage declines can leave thousands of children vulnerable, increasing the risk of outbreaks as measles continues to spread across the country.