Vaccination rates among kindergarteners fall as exemptions rise to all-time high

United States kindergarten vaccination rates decreased last year while exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to new federal data.

The data, posted to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website Thursday, showed vaccination coverage among kindergartners during the 2024 to 2025 school year decreased for all reported vaccines from the year before.

According to the data, about 92.1% kindergartners got the diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP), and 92.5% received the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR) and polio vaccine — all down slightly from the previous school year.

These decreases come as the U.S. has recorded the most measles cases in more than 30 years. A large share of the infections were connected to a West Texas outbreak primarily affecting children and teenagers, nearly all of whom were unvaccinated or have an unknown vaccination status.

Experts say outbreaks like these are more likely when vaccination rates drop — and rates have already fallen below the 95% needed for herd immunity.

Exemptions among U.S. kindergartners also rose to an all-time high during the 2024 to 2025 school year, the data showed, increasing to 3.6% from 3.3% the year before. 

Exemptions increased in 36 states and Washington, D.C., with 17 states reporting exemptions exceeding 5%, the CDC added.

Speaking on “CBS Mornings” earlier this year about the measles outbreak, Dr. Céline Gounder, CBS News medical contributor and editor-at-large for public health at KFF Health News, expressed worry over exemption increases across the country. 

“We’re really seeing a lot of exemptions [and] concerns about vaccination that are not warranted,” she said, adding, for most people, the MMR vaccine will protect you for life against measles, one of the most contagious infectious diseases. Doctors and public health officials say the vaccine, which has been used for decades, is safe and highly effective.