National Kindergarten Vaccination Coverage Rate Data Continues to Show Declines in Protection

Every August, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) publishes data on national trends in kindergarten vaccination coverage rates (VCR).

This year’s data shows a concerning trend, with exemption rates for the 2025-26 school year now being reported at 4.2%, a 0.6% increase from last year. This increase in exemptions point to a decline in protection from vaccine-preventable diseases.

All states require vaccines for school entry, and all states allow exemptions from those requirements for medical reasons. Most states also allow either religious or philosophical exemptions. Learn more about your state’s requirements here.  

To help us understand how many children are protected against vaccine-preventable diseases like measles and varicella (chicken pox), the CDC tracks these exemption rates year-over-year.

Forty-one states and the District of Columbia (DC) reported increases in the number of families submitting for an exemption, with a total of approximately 155,000 kindergarteners exempt from one or more vaccines in the 2025-26 school year.

The U.S. is currently experiencing the worst measles outbreak in over three decades, with over 2,600 cases being reported in 2026 alone. Digging into the VCRs for the measles vaccine (MMR or MMRV) helps explain these outbreaks.

According to CDC data, the national MMR VCR was only 92.4%. For community immunity to be sufficient to prevent the spread of measles outbreaks, vaccination rates need to be between 92-94%. Coverage rates vary state by state, with some states reporting 98% MMR coverage rates, and others reporting rates as low as 75%.

The declining coverage rates and differences in protection leave communities at risk of growing measles outbreaks. Measles outbreaks can lead to missed school, lost work, hospitalization, and even death. These outbreaks have a deep community impact and are very costly for cities and states to manage. A 2025 outbreak in New Mexico cost $5.4 million to address, or over $53,000 per case.

Increasing exemptions will increase outbreaks and costs for communities and governments.