Routine vaccination rates for kindergarten children ticked down during the COVID-19 pandemic and have yet to rebound while exemptions from school vaccination requirements have increased, likely contributing to a recent surge in measles cases. At the same time, vaccine hesitancy, fueled in part by vaccine misinformation, increased during the pandemic, and public opinion on vaccine requirements has become increasingly partisan. Vaccine policies have emerged as an election issue, with both former President Trump and Independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy (RFK) Jr. embracing anti-vaccination attitudes and contributing to vaccine misinformation. This is in sharp contrast to current President Biden who has supported vaccine mandates and taken action to expand access to vaccines for both children and adults. This issue brief further explores this changing landscape by examining the latest trends in children’s routine vaccination rates, the factors contributing to recent vaccination trends, and policy approaches to increasing vaccination rates as children head into a new school year. Key takeaways include:
Headed Back to School in 2024: An Update on Children’s Routine Vaccination Trends
July 18, 2024