Record High Kindergarten Vaccination Exemptions Reported by CDC
The percentage of kindergartners exempted from school-required vaccinations reached its highest level during the 2022-2023 school year, according to federal data. This decline in vaccination coverage increases the risk of disease outbreaks and highlights the ongoing impact of barriers to vaccination during the COVID-19 pandemic. The CDC found that a measles outbreak in Ohio primarily affected unvaccinated children under 5 years old. While national coverage for all vaccines remained around 93%, exemptions rose to a record high of 3%. The reasons behind this increase are unclear, but the politicization of COVID-19 vaccines may have contributed to anti-vaccine sentiment. Understanding the reasons for exemptions could help develop policies to improve vaccination coverage and protect against vaccine-preventable diseases.