Vaccine Hesitancy: 1 in 6 Americans Refuse Childhood Shots
- The United States experienced it's most significant measles outbreak in over three decades in 2025,resulting in three fatalities,including two children.
- Nationally, measles vaccination rates among kindergarteners decreased from 95% in 2019 to 92.5% in 2024.
- The availability of these exemptions varies substantially by state.
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Measles Resurgence in the U.S.: A Cautionary Tale of Declining Vaccination Rates
Table of Contents
Updated september 16,2025,at 06:01 AM PDT
The Rise of Measles Cases in 2025
The United States experienced it’s most significant measles outbreak in over three decades in 2025,resulting in three fatalities,including two children. This resurgence is directly linked to a decline in vaccination rates, fueled in part by increased exemptions for non-medical reasons.
Declining Vaccination Rates and Exemptions
Nationally, measles vaccination rates among kindergarteners decreased from 95% in 2019 to 92.5% in 2024. This seemingly small drop has had significant consequences. A key factor contributing to this decline is the increasing availability of non-medical exemptions, such as religious or philosophical objections, permitted in many U.S. states. While medical contraindications to vaccination are rare, these non-medical exemptions allow parents to opt out of vaccinating their children.
The availability of these exemptions varies substantially by state. Some states have very strict requirements, while others allow for broad exemptions. This creates regional pockets of lower vaccination coverage, making those communities more vulnerable to outbreaks. According to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), states with more liberal exemption policies consistently have lower vaccination rates.
| State | Kindergarten Vaccination Rate (Measles, 2024) | Non-Medical Exemption Rate (2024) |
|---|---|---|
| California | 91.5% | 1.8% |
| Texas | 88.7% | 2.3% |
| Washington | 90.2% | 3.1% |
| Vermont | 96.1% | 0.5% |
| Mississippi | 99.2% | 0.1% |
Data Source: CDC, National Immunization survey-Child, 2024.
The Impact of Lower Vaccination Coverage
Measles is a highly contagious viral disease. When vaccination rates fall below a certain threshold – generally around 9