Vaccine exemption rate for kindergarteners reaches record high: CDC

Exemptions from routine vaccines among U.S. kindergartners increased to a record high 4.2% during the 2025-26 school year, according to new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released on Monday.

This is up from 3.6% compared to the previous school year. During the 2020-21 school year, the exemption rate was 2.2%.

The majority of exemptions were for non-medical reasons, CDC data shows.

Amid a record-breaking year of measles cases, the percentage of kindergartners who received the measles, mumps, rubella (MMR) vaccine inched down to 92.4%, below the 95% rate seen pre-pandemic and the threshold doctors say is needed to maintain herd immunity.

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Rates for the varicella, or chickenpox, vaccine fell from 94% to 93.4% during the 2025-26 school year. However, rates for two doses inched up from 92.1% to 92.2%.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.