US kindergarten vaccination rates slip as exemptions rise
US kindergarten vaccination coverage fell for all reported vaccines in 2025-26, while exemptions rose to 4.2%, per CDC data.
New federal data shows a broad decline in vaccination coverage among American kindergarteners for the 2025-2026 school year. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that coverage fell for every vaccine it tracks, marking a reversal from the previous year.
The CDC's latest figures, released on Monday, put the national exemption rate at 4.2% — up from 3.6% a year earlier. This means a growing share of kindergarteners entered school without one or more required immunizations.
Coverage varied slightly by vaccine type. The diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine saw the lowest coverage at 92.0%. The measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine and the polio vaccine both stood at 92.4%.
The agency also noted that coverage for MMR, DTaP, polio, and varicella (chickenpox) vaccines decreased in more than half of all states compared with the previous school year. The findings underscore a continuing challenge in maintaining high immunization rates needed to prevent outbreaks of preventable diseases.