Routine vaccination rates for kindergarteners haven’t rebounded since the COVID-19 pandemic, according to KFF.
At the same time, exemptions from school vaccination requirements are climbing, possibly contributing to surging measles cases.
Shifts in public opinion and rising vaccine hesitancy rooted in misinformation are contributing to the lower vaccination rates, KFF reported. About three-quarters of states reported measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccination rates below the 95% Healthy People 2030 target during the previous school year. Meanwhile, 10 states had more than 5% of kindergarteners claim a vaccine exemption during the 2022-2023 school year.