The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released data on Monday indicating that vaccination rates for kindergartners across the United States fell during the 2025-2026 academic year. The decline affected all tracked vaccines, including those for measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR), diphtheria, tetanus, and acellular pertussis (DTaP), polio, and varicella.

According to the report, the percentage of students receiving exemptions for one or more required vaccines rose to 4.2%, up from 3.6% in the previous school year. This upward trend in exemptions was observed in 41 states and the District of Columbia.

The report highlights that this shift in immunization coverage occurs during a period marked by significant public health developments. The CDC noted that measles cases have reached levels not seen in over thirty years. Additionally, the report links the timing of these trends to ongoing policy discussions and changes regarding vaccination requirements initiated by the Trump administration. While the data provides a clear statistical overview of the decline in coverage, the report does not explicitly detail the specific types of exemptions—such as medical, religious, or philosophical—that contributed most significantly to the increase.