Vaccine Exemptions Hit Record 4.2 Percent as Measles Cases Reach 35-Year High

Childhood vaccine exemptions in the United States reached a record high of 4.2 percent during the 2025-2026 school year, affecting approximately 155,000 kindergartners, according to data released by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in August 2026.

Exemptions increased in 41 states and the District of Columbia. National coverage for the measles, mumps, and rubella vaccine fell to 92.4 percent, while coverage for the DTaP vaccine dropped to 92 percent. Both figures fall below the 95 percent threshold required for herd immunity.

The CDC confirmed 2,566 measles cases in 2026 as of mid-August, the highest count in 35 years. Approximately 93 to 94 percent of those cases involved individuals who were unvaccinated.

Twenty-four states now report exemption rates exceeding 5 percent. Non-medical exemptions, including personal and religious objections, account for the vast majority of the 4.2 percent rate, while medical exemptions have remained stable at 0.2 percent.

Public health experts attributed the decline in vaccination coverage to pandemic-era disruptions, a general erosion of vaccine confidence, and a lack of clear national messaging.

The Pan American Health Organization is scheduled to review the United States' measles elimination status in November 2026, a status the country has held since 2000.

In August 2026, President Donald Trump signed an executive order aiming to reduce the number of recommended childhood vaccines and expressed a desire to have the MMR vaccine administered as three separate shots. The American Academy of Pediatrics criticized the move, noting that the requested separate shots do not currently exist and that the administration's actions risk fueling further vaccine hesitancy.