Experts warn that communities with lower vaccination rates are at higher risk for disease outbreaks, such as the recent measles outbreak in West Texas and New Mexico. As childhood vaccination rates decline, outbreaks of once-eradicated diseases like measles are becoming more common and severe.
School leaders play a crucial role in monitoring local vaccination rates and taking steps to prevent outbreaks within their communities. While school districts have little control over the required vaccinations for students, it is important for leaders to be aware of the vulnerability of communities with lower vaccine rates and be prepared for the possibility of an outbreak.
State laws dictate which vaccines are required for students and the reasons for which parents may opt their children out of receiving those vaccines. While all 50 states have vaccine requirements for children entering school, nearly all allow nonmedical exemptions based on religious or philosophical beliefs.
The rate of families seeking nonmedical exemptions has been on the rise, with exemptions increasing in 40 states and the District of Columbia. In the 2023-24 school year, vaccination coverage among kindergartners in the United States decreased for all reported vaccines, while exemptions from one or more vaccines increased to 3.3 percent.
All states require a vaccination for kindergartners that protects against measles, mumps, and rubella. The MMR vaccine, when administered the recommended two times, is about 97 percent effective and usually protects the recipient for life. However, nationally, the vaccination rate for measles for kindergartners in 2023-24 was just under 93 percent, falling short of the 95 percent experts recommend for herd immunity.
States with kindergarten measles vaccination rates above 95 percent are primarily in the Eastern half of the United States, while states with rates below 90 percent are mostly in the West. Idaho and Wisconsin have the lowest measles vaccination rates, at 79.6 percent and 84.8 percent, respectively.
As outbreaks of preventable diseases continue to occur, it is crucial for school leaders to prioritize vaccination efforts and work towards achieving high vaccination rates within their communities. By staying informed and taking proactive measures, school districts can help protect the health and well-being of their students and prevent the spread of contagious diseases. The states with the highest vaccination rates are West Virginia, New York, and Connecticut, with rates of 98.3 percent and 97.7 percent, respectively. These states have made significant strides in ensuring that their population is protected against preventable diseases such as measles.
However, it is important to note that statewide rates can sometimes obscure major differences within states. For example, in Texas, despite having a statewide kindergarten MMR vaccination rate of 94 percent, there has been a deadly measles outbreak that has sickened 259 people, mostly school-aged children. This outbreak is mainly concentrated in Gaines County, where nearly 18 percent of kindergartners had a conscientious exemption to vaccine requirements for the 2023-24 school year. Gaines County has consistently had one of the highest exemption rates in Texas.
Nationally, 3.3 percent of kindergartners in the 2023-24 school year had an exemption for one or more required vaccines. Nonmedical exemptions are more common than medical ones, with less than half a percent of kindergartners having a medical exemption and 3.1 percent having a nonmedical exemption. Nonmedical exemptions accounted for almost all of the increase in exemptions from the previous year, where the exemption rate was 3 percent.
It is crucial for states to continue promoting vaccination and educating the public on the importance of immunization. Vaccines are a safe and effective way to prevent diseases and protect the health of individuals and communities. By ensuring high vaccination rates, states can help prevent outbreaks of dangerous diseases like measles and keep their populations healthy.
