US vaccine hesitancy climbs amid record measles cases and slipping immunization rates
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported that vaccine hesitancy in the United States has risen, coinciding with a record-high measles outbreak and a modest slip in childhood immunization rates. CDC data for the 2025-26 school year showed non-medical exemption rates among kindergarteners climbing to 4. 2 % and a slight 0. 1 % drop in MMR vaccination coverage, the lowest in decades.
Earlier reports noted the exemption rate had reached 4 %, the highest on record. A former CDC immunization adviser downplayed the small decline, saying overall compliance remains high. These findings follow earlier CDC releases indicating a rise in exemption rates and a marginal decline in kindergarten vaccine coverage, trends that public health officials say reflect growing uncertainty about vaccines among the public.
