Top Stories· August 17, 2026 at 10:08 p.m.
US Vaccination Rates Decline as Exemptions Increase, CDC Data Reveals
Key takeaways
- Vaccination rates for US kindergarteners have declined
- Non-medical exemptions have increased
- 24 states have exemption rates at or above 5%
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has released data on US kindergarten vaccination rates for the 2025–2026 school year. The data shows a decline in vaccination rates from the previous year, with only 92.4% of kindergartners vaccinated against measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), down from 92.5%. Similarly, coverage with the DTaP vaccine dropped from 92.1% to 92.0%. More than half of states saw decreases in coverage for MMR, DTaP, polio vaccine, and varicella/chickenpox vaccine.
