U.S. school vaccination rates inch down again as exemptions reach record high

August 18, 2026 - 03:15

For the fourth year in a row, the share of American kindergartners with up-to-date vaccinations has dropped, while the number of families opting out has climbed to an all-time high. New federal data released this week shows that the national exemption rate now stands at 3.3 percent, up from 3 percent last year. That means roughly one in every 30 kindergarteners entered school this fall without at least one required vaccine.

The trend is driven almost entirely by nonmedical exemptions, which include religious and philosophical objections. Medical exemptions, granted for conditions like severe allergies or immune disorders, remain rare and stable. In a handful of states, the picture is more stark. Idaho reported an exemption rate above 12 percent, and several other Western and Mountain states, including Utah, Alaska, and Oregon, saw rates climb past 8 percent.

Public health officials say the slow but steady erosion of coverage is worrying because it pushes some communities below the threshold needed for herd immunity. Measles, for instance, needs around 95 percent vaccination coverage to prevent outbreaks. The current national rate for measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine is just under 93 percent, down from nearly 95 percent a decade ago.

The data, collected from state immunization programs, also shows that many children with exemptions are not simply skipping one shot. Most are missing multiple vaccines, leaving them vulnerable to several preventable diseases at once. While some parents cite concerns about side effects or a desire to delay shots, researchers note that misinformation spread online continues to play a major role.

School nurses and pediatricians say the real impact shows up in classrooms. A single unvaccinated child can expose others who are too young for shots or who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons. So far, no large outbreaks have been tied to this year's data, but experts warn that the trend line is moving in the wrong direction. If exemptions keep rising, they say, it is only a matter of time before more communities face preventable outbreaks.