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22h ago

U.S. Kindergarten Vaccination Coverage Falls Below Herd Immunity Threshold as Exemptions Surge

Health officials warn that record-high nonmedical exemptions have driven the worst measles outbreak since elimination.

An MMR vaccine at the City of Lubbock Health Department in Lubbock, Texas, on February 27.
A sign reading "measles testing" is seen as an outbreak in Gaines County, Texas, has raised concerns over its spread to other parts of the state, in Seminole, Texas, U.S., February 25, 2025. REUTERS/Sebastian Rocandio/File Photo
Raynard Covarrubio administers an MMR vaccine at a vaccine clinic in Lubbock, Texas, on March 1.
FILE - Vials of the measles mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine are displayed in Lubbock, Texas, on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 2025. (AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Overview

  • CDC figures show MMR coverage at 92.5% and DTaP at 92.1% among kindergartners in 2024-25, below the 95% level needed to prevent outbreaks.
  • Nonmedical exemptions reached a record 4.1% this school year, marking the third straight annual increase.
  • More than 1,330 measles cases have been confirmed across 40 states in 2025, the highest tally since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.
  • The American Academy of Pediatrics has called on states to remove nonmedical vaccine exemptions to safeguard community immunity.
  • Public health experts point to online misinformation and varying state exemption laws for uneven coverage and rising opt-outs.