Summary
Vaccination rates among kindergarteners in the U.S. have dropped for the 2024-2025 school year, with more parents choosing exemptions. This comes at a time when measles cases are at their highest since 2000.
Key Facts
- Vaccination coverage for kindergarteners decreased for all reported vaccines in the 2024-2025 school year.
- Exemptions from vaccines in this group rose to 3.6% from 3.3% compared to the previous year.
- 36 states and D.C. saw an increase in vaccine exemptions.
- 17 states reported exemption rates of over 5%.
- Idaho (15.4%) and Utah (10.3%) had the highest exemption rates among states.
- West Virginia and Montana did not provide exemption data to the CDC.
- The U.S. recorded its highest annual measles cases since eliminating the disease in 2000, with 1,333 cases and 29 outbreaks reported in 2025.
- Only 92.5% of U.S. kindergarteners are vaccinated against measles, below the CDC's target of 95% needed for herd immunity.
