New federal data released Monday shows that the percentage of American kindergartners exempted from one or more vaccines reached 4.2 percent during the 2025-26 school year. This represents an increase from the 3.6 percent recorded the previous year, while overall vaccination coverage for reported diseases fell slightly.
The United States has seen a steady decline in kindergarten vaccination rates since the 2019-20 school year, when the coverage rate was 95.2 percent. Since that time, the rate has remained below 94 percent, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The CDC reported that 92.4 percent of students received the MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine, which is below the 95 percent threshold the agency considers necessary to prevent widespread outbreaks. The report also tracked coverage for DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis), poliovirus, and varicella (chicken pox). The agency noted a significant increase in non-medical exemptions across multiple states.
For families and students, these numbers translate into a higher likelihood of exposure to preventable diseases within school settings. Parents will notice these effects through school-mandated immunization checks and potential exclusion periods if an outbreak occurs. The CDC reported more than 2,500 measles cases last week alone, surpassing the total of 2,289 cases recorded throughout all of 2025. Of those recent cases, the CDC stated that 93 percent occurred in individuals who were unvaccinated or had an unknown vaccination status.
The increase in exemptions comes amid federal policy changes and public debates regarding vaccine mandates. The Trump administration and Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. are currently seeking changes to vaccination policy, including an executive order recommending the MMR vaccine be split into three separate appointments. While the pharmaceutical industry has cited a lack of scientific data for such a change, the ongoing policy shifts may influence how states manage religious and philosophical exemptions. Future impacts will depend on state-level responses to these federal recommendations and the progression of the current measles epidemic, which the source describes as the most significant in 35 years.