New federal data released Monday show that vaccine exemption rates for U.S. kindergartners climbed to a record 4.2% during the 2025-26 school year, up from 3.6% the prior year and nearly double the 2.2% rate recorded in 2020-21, according to ABC News, which cited the CDC report. Idaho recorded the highest combined exemption rate in the country at 17.5%, while California, New York, and West Virginia posted the lowest at 0.1%.
Coverage Drops Below Key Threshold
The majority of exemptions filed were for non-medical reasons. MMR vaccination coverage among kindergartners fell to 92.4% for the 2025-26 school year — below the 95% level that doctors say is needed to maintain herd immunity for measles, mumps, and rubella. Varicella coverage slipped to 93.4%, down from 94% the previous year, while DTaP coverage edged down slightly to 92%.
Experts Point to Multiple Causes
Analysts cited in the ABC News report pointed to a combination of vaccine opposition and access barriers as possible drivers. Pandemic-era disruptions are also seen as a contributing factor, with many families losing consistent contact with their regular pediatric providers during that period.
Dr. David Margolius, quoted by ABC News, described the trend as longstanding. “It is concerning,” he said, adding that rebuilding those care relationships took time: “That had taken a couple of years because everything that happened during the pandemic was so jarring for that relationship and for folks’ experiences.”
Idaho Context
Idaho’s 17.5% exemption rate — the highest in the nation — reflects the state’s longstanding parental-choice framework, which allows both medical and non-medical exemptions from school immunization requirements. The data arrive as federal health agencies under the current administration have signaled greater openness to reviewing vaccine policy and parental rights in medical decision-making, themes central to the broader MAHA agenda.
Debates over vaccine mandates and exemptions have drawn renewed attention at both the state and federal levels, with courts and legislatures continuing to weigh the boundaries of public health authority against individual and parental choice. How Idaho’s exemption landscape evolves in coming school years will likely remain a focal point for families, state health officials, and federal policymakers alike.