US kindergarten vaccine coverage falls, CDC reports

Key facts

• U.S. kindergarten vaccination coverage decreased for all reported vaccines in the 2025-2026 school year.
• Vaccine exemptions among U.S. kindergartners rose to 4.2% in the 2025-2026 school year, up from 3.6% the prior year.
• Coverage for DTaP was 92.0%, while MMR and polio vaccine coverage was 92.4%.
• More than half of states saw decreased coverage for MMR, DTaP, polio, and varicella vaccines.
• An estimated 155,000 kindergartners had exemptions from at least one vaccine.
• Around 280,000 kindergartners did not have documented completion of the MMR vaccine series.

Kindergarten vaccination coverage across the United States saw a decline for all reported vaccines during the 2025-2026 school year compared to the previous year, according to data released by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The CDC reported that exemptions from one or more required vaccines among kindergartners increased to 4.2% for the 2025-2026 school year, up from 3.6% in the prior year. Coverage rates for specific vaccines ranged from 92.0% for the diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP) vaccine to 92.4% for the measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and polio vaccines.

Further analysis from the CDC indicated that coverage for the MMR, DTaP, polio, and varicella vaccines decreased in more than half of U.S. states when compared to the previous school year. The data also revealed that approximately 155,000 kindergartners were exempt from at least one vaccine, and about 280,000 lacked documentation for completing the MMR vaccine series.