All articles tagged with #kindergartners
A former CDC advisor has urged calm regarding recent declines in kindergarten vaccination rates, despite data showing record-high exemption levels. While the advisor suggests the situation is manageable, other outlets highlight that these drops threaten herd immunity and coincide with federal efforts to loosen state vaccine mandates.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data released in August 2026 shows that nonmedical vaccination exemptions for US kindergartners reached a record 4% during the 2025-2026 school year. This rise in exemptions coincided with a decline in MMR vaccination rates, which fell to 92.4%, leaving approximately 280,000 children unvaccinated against measles. The data indicates that 42 of 46 states with sufficient information reported increased nonmedical exemptions, with 23 states exceeding a 5% threshold. These trends occur as the US experiences its highest measles case count since 1991, prompting concerns about herd immunity thresholds.
Several kindergartners are in critical but stable condition following a shooting at a California school. Authorities are investigating the incident, which has raised concerns about school safety and gun violence.
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that the proportion of kindergarten-aged children with exemptions from vaccination requirements reached an unprecedented 3% in the 2022-23 school year, the highest rate ever recorded. Nonmedical exemptions accounted for over 90% of the increase, with 10 states reporting exemption rates of over 5% for at least one vaccine. The overall vaccination coverage for kindergartners remained at 93%, a concern for public health officials who stress the need to achieve ≥95% coverage to prevent outbreaks of preventable diseases. The reasons for the increase in exemptions are unclear, but the CDC calls for a better understanding of the factors contributing to vaccine hesitancy and the development of policies to improve vaccination rates.
The number of vaccine exemptions for U.S. kindergartners has risen to 3% during the 2022-23 school year, with rates exceeding 5% in 10 states. While most exemptions are due to religious or philosophical reasons, some parents seek exemptions for medical reasons, such as allergic reactions or medical conditions that make vaccination unsafe. Pediatricians attribute the rise in exemptions to growing misinformation and a lack of trust in medical institutions. The most commonly refused vaccines are the MMR and HPV vaccines, while seasonal influenza and COVID-19 vaccines have the highest total refusal rates. Children with medical concerns, such as cancer or immunodeficiency, are unable to receive certain vaccines, making herd immunity crucial for their protection.
Vaccination coverage among US kindergartners has fallen short of the protective threshold of 95 percent for the third consecutive year, with exemptions reaching a record high of 3 percent, according to a study by the CDC. The rise in exemptions is occurring nationwide, with 40 states reporting increases. More than 90 percent of exemptions are nonmedical, meaning children are not receiving routine vaccinations for religious or personal reasons. This poses a risk of measles and other severe infections for around 250,000 kindergartners in the US. The authors of the study suggest enforcing school vaccination requirements and implementing strategies such as school-based vaccination clinics and reminder systems to improve vaccination rates.
The percentage of US kindergartners who received their state-required vaccines for measles remained below the federal target last school year, and the rate of vaccine exemptions for children reached the highest level ever reported in the United States, according to new data from the CDC. Vaccine coverage for key vaccines declined in a majority of states, raising the risk of outbreaks. The percentage of kindergartners exempt from state-required vaccinations increased to 3%, with exemptions exceeding 5% in ten states. Non-medical exemptions accounted for over 90% of reported exemptions and the increase in the national exemption rate. The Covid-19 pandemic disrupted vaccination efforts, and currently, the Covid-19 vaccine is not included in school requirements in at least 20 states.
Actress Melissa Joan Hart and her husband helped a class of kindergartners escape the Nashville school shooting by assisting them in crossing a busy highway. Hart, whose children attend a school next to the private Christian Covenant School, said this was her second experience with a school shooting, with the first being the Sandy Hook Elementary shooting in 2012. She recorded a video on Monday but found it too raw to post that day.