New national data show that exemptions from school vaccination requirements among kindergartners reached a record high during the 2025–2026 school year. About 4.2 percent of kindergartners had an exemption from one or more vaccines, up from 3.6 percent the previous year, while MMR vaccination coverage declined slightly to 92.4 percent. About 280,000 kindergartners attended school without documentation of completing the MMR vaccine series. At the same time, debates over school vaccination requirements gained attention in several states. In New York, a legal challenge involving Amish schools renewed debate about religious exemptions from school vaccine requirements. In Florida, health officials proposed removing school requirements for hepatitis B, varicella, Hib, and pneumococcal vaccines and broadening the state’s religious exemption language to include sincerely held moral or ethical beliefs. The Florida proposal remains open for public comment.
Online conversation reflected broader debate about childhood vaccination and school requirements. Some commenters supported greater parental choice and praised rising exemption rates, while others expressed concern that declining vaccination rates could contribute to outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. False and misleading claims about childhood vaccine safety also circulated, including claims that vaccines cause autism or chronic illnesses or weaken children’s immune systems. Some commenters questioned why vaccinated children should be concerned about unvaccinated classmates, while others asked how to obtain an exemption or whether school vaccination requirements in their state are changing.
Recommendation
Rising exemption rates and ongoing policy debates may increase questions about why vaccines are required for school and which requirements apply to families. Health communicators may explain that school vaccination requirements help reduce the spread of vaccine-preventable diseases and protect children who cannot be vaccinated or may not develop full protection from vaccination. Higher exemption rates are associated with increased risk of vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, particularly when unvaccinated children are clustered within communities. Messaging may also reinforce that recommended childhood vaccines have established safety profiles and that extensive research has found no association between vaccines and autism.
Communicators may clarify that school vaccination requirements and exemption policies vary by state and that proposed changes in one state do not change requirements elsewhere. Messaging may direct families to their state or local health department and their child’s school for current requirements and encourage parents with questions about recommended vaccines to talk with their child’s health care provider.
Reading Links: PBS
Communication resources: Read through tips for how to communicate about the childhood immunization schedule
