CDC: Kindergarten vaccine exemptions reached record 4.2%
U.S. kindergarten vaccine exemptions reached a record 4.2% during the 2025-2026 school year, while coverage for the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine fell below the level the CDC says generally helps prevent sustained measles transmission.
The CDC released its SchoolVaxView estimates on August 17. Exemptions from one or more required vaccines rose from 3.6% the year before, representing about 155,000 kindergartners. Coverage declined for every vaccine included in the national report.
MMR coverage is below the CDC benchmark
National kindergarten MMR coverage was 92.4% in 2025-2026, down from 95.2% in 2019-2020. About 280,000 kindergartners attended school without documentation of completing the MMR vaccine series.
The CDC says vaccination coverage above 95% generally provides community immunity against measles. That figure is a public-health benchmark, not a federal school-entry rule or a guarantee that every community above or below it will face the same level of risk.
National averages can also conceal local pockets with substantially lower coverage. Those differences matter because measles is highly contagious and can spread quickly when an infected person enters a community where too few people are protected.
Measles cases remain elevated
As of noon on August 20, the CDC reported 2,777 confirmed measles cases in the United States in 2026, 36 new outbreaks and 94% of cases associated with outbreaks.
The figures are confirmed cases reported to CDC by that date. The agency says 2025-2026 case counts are preliminary and subject to change as state and local health departments complete investigations and submit additional reports. The CDC also said its scheduled August 28 data update was delayed.
The exemption rate by itself does not establish that exemptions caused the national measles case count. The data instead show two related public-health conditions: declining routine coverage and continued measles activity. Risk can differ sharply from one state, county or school community to another.
Why case counts can change
A CDC analysis published August 27 examined “nowcasting,” a method for estimating recent transmission when confirmed cases are delayed by testing, investigation and reporting. The analysis used data from a South Carolina outbreak and found that nowcasting can help officials distinguish a real change in transmission from an apparent change caused by reporting delays.
Nowcasting can improve real-time situational awareness, but it is not a new national case total and does not, by itself, show that the current U.S. measles outbreak is expanding.
CDC’s national measles page reflects confirmed cases notified to the agency as of noon on Thursdays. State health departments may post more current or different totals because jurisdictions update their public information on different schedules.
States set school-entry rules
There is no single federal school-vaccination rule that determines whether a child may attend kindergarten. States and the District of Columbia set school vaccination requirements and determine which medical or nonmedical exemptions are permitted. Schools and local health departments apply those rules.
SchoolVaxView is based on vaccination and exemption information reported by states and the District of Columbia from public and private schools. States use different collection methods, and the CDC says those methodological differences should be considered when comparing results.
What an exemption means
An exemption does not necessarily mean a child has received no vaccines. The CDC says most students with exemptions have received at least some vaccinations. An exemption may reflect a missing dose, a specific missing vaccine, several incomplete series or missing documentation.
All states and the District of Columbia allow medical exemptions. Nearly all states also offer some form of nonmedical exemption, but the permitted reasons and procedures vary by state.
What families should do
Parents who cannot find vaccination records should contact their child’s clinician or local health department rather than assume the child is protected. A provider can review available records, determine whether catch-up doses are needed and discuss MMR vaccination.
The CDC says people without written documentation of MMR vaccination or other evidence of immunity should be vaccinated, especially before international travel. The agency also says the MMR vaccine is safe and that receiving an additional dose is not harmful for someone who may already be immune.
Families should check their state’s school-entry requirements before enrollment or transfer. During a measles outbreak, a health department may issue instructions that differ from ordinary school procedures, including guidance about exposure, testing, isolation or temporary exclusion.
The national numbers provide a warning about vaccination coverage, but the practical question for any family is local: which records are documented, what state rules apply and what instructions the health department has issued for the community.
Sources
- CDC SchoolVaxView kindergarten vaccination and exemption data
- Associated Press report on childhood vaccination rates
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