By Ethan Covey
During the 2023-2024 school year, national kindergarten coverage with routine childhood vaccinations declined to less than 93% for all reported vaccines, remaining well below the Healthy People 2030 target of 95% for measles-containing vaccination for the fourth consecutive year.
In addition, the vaccine exemption rate increased to the highest level ever reported (MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2024;73[41]:925-932).
“With declines in routine childhood vaccination, more communities across the U.S. may be at risk for experiencing outbreaks of measles and whooping cough,” said Ranee Seither, MPH, an epidemiologist with the CDC’s Immunization Assessment Branch. “Vaccination is the best way to prevent these outbreaks and their devastating impact on children.”
Complete vaccination with required doses of the MMR, diphtheria-tetanus-acellular pertussis (DTaP), poliovirus and varicella (VAR) vaccines ranged from 92.3% for the DTaP vaccine, through 92.7% for MMR. Coverage with all four vaccines declined in 80% of U.S. juridictions.
The vaccination-exemption rate, which illustrates the percentage of U.S. kindergartners with an exemption from at least one vaccine, increased to 3.3% during the 2023-2024 school year from 3% during the 2022-2023 school year, which means more than 126,000 kindergarteners have an exemption from at least one vaccination for the 2023-2024 school year.
The vaccine exemption rate increased in 41 jurisdictions, and exceeded 5% in 14 jurisdictions.
“This increase in exemptions could lead to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in communities across the U.S.,” Ms. Seither said.
“Additional research could help us to understand the reasons behind the increase in exemptions and the decrease in vaccination coverage, and what efforts may work to increase vaccination coverage,” Ms. Seither continued. “For example, efforts [are needed] to increase vaccine confidence and more convenient access to vaccinations.”
The sources reported no relevant financial disclosures.
