The latest CDC kindergarten vaccination data shows that routine childhood immunization rates in the United States declined again during the 2025–2026 school year. The report tracks vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergarten students and highlights a continued move away from the 95% threshold generally considered necessary to limit the community spread of vaccine-preventable diseases.
National measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination coverage fell to 92.4% among kindergarteners in 2025–2026, down from 92.5% the previous school year. Coverage for the DTaP vaccine, which protects against diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis, also declined slightly, dropping from 92.1% to 92.0%.
Childhood vaccination rates have generally decreased since the 2019–2020 school year, when coverage reached approximately 95%. The latest CDC figures indicate that the United States remains below that benchmark, leaving more communities vulnerable to outbreaks of measles and other vaccine-preventable illnesses.
More than half of the states reported declines in coverage for MMR, DTaP, polio, and varicella vaccines. Only 10 states met or exceeded the 95% MMR vaccination threshold: West Virginia, Connecticut, Maine, New York, Mississippi, Rhode Island, Maryland, Massachusetts, California, and New Mexico.
At the same time, nonmedical vaccine exemptions among kindergarten students increased sharply. During the 2025–2026 school year, 4% of kindergartners had a nonmedical exemption based on personal or religious beliefs, up from 3.2% in 2024–2025. Medical exemptions remained stable at approximately 0.2% in recent years.
Source: arstechnica.com