Childhood vaccination rates fall again as U.S. exemptions surge to record 3.4%

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CDC quietly reports childhood vaccine rates dropped again for the 2024–2025 school year, with coverage falling below 93% for all major shots.

  • MMR vaccination (measles, mumps, rubella): 92.5%

  • Polio vaccine: 92.5%

  • DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis): 92.1%

Exemptions also hit a new record. CDC confirms that “the exemption rate was the highest ever reported in the United States at 3.4%.”
https://www.cdc.gov/schoolvaxview/data/index.html

That means tens of thousands more kindergartners entered school this year without full vaccination status.

The agency claims enforcement and documentation varied widely by state. But the pattern is clear. Fewer parents are complying. More are opting out. In 10 states, vaccine coverage for MMR was below 90%.

CDC data shows a slow but steady erosion in trust in childhood vaccine schedules, despite years of official assurances.