Vaccine rates for kindergartners fall as exemptions rise
Why it matters: The drop coincides with measles cases in America hitting a 33-year high, while Trump's appointee to lead the Health Department, Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., upends long-standing vaccine norms.
What they're saying:"The decision to vaccinate is a personal one," a Health Department spokesperson told Axios in an emailed statement. "Parents should consult their healthcare providers on options for their families."
The spokesperson said vaccination remains the "most effective way" to protect children from serious diseases like measles that can lead to "hospitalization and long-term health complications."
By the numbers: Exemptions from one or more vaccines among kindergarteners increased to 3.6% from 3.3%, when compared to the 2023-2024 school year.
Exemptions grew in 36 states and in D.C., and 17 states reported exemption numbers exceeding 5%.
Idaho and Utah had the highest percentages of kindergarteners exempted from one or more vaccines, at 15.4% and 10.3% each, respectively.
West Virginia and Montana did not report numbers to the CDC.
Zoom out: America is experiencing its highest annual measles rate count since the disease was declared eliminated in 2000.
As of Tuesday, the CDC has confirmed a total of 1,333 measles cases, and 29 outbreaks have been reported in 2025.
Of the 1,333 cases, kids under 5 years old make up 29% of confirmed cases, whereas people between 5 and 19 years old make up 37%.
targeted herd immunity level of 95%.
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