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Understanding the decline in US childhood vaccination rates
US childhood vaccination rates have dropped to 92.4 percent, falling below the 95 percent threshold needed for herd immunity. Learn the risks and data.
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Groundwork ResearcherNational vaccination rates for MMR and DTaP have fallen below the 95% threshold required for herd immunity. To protect your family, review your school’s specific immunization data via your local health department and consult your pediatrician to ensure your child’s vaccination schedule is current.
US childhood vaccination rates have dropped to 92.4 percent, falling below the 95 percent threshold needed for herd immunity. Learn the risks and data.
The 95 percent threshold is necessary to achieve herd immunity for highly contagious diseases like measles. This level of coverage ensures that the pathogen cannot find enough susceptible hosts to sustain an outbreak, thereby protecting those who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons.
Medical exemptions are granted when a child has a specific health condition, such as an immune system disorder, that makes vaccination unsafe. Non-medical exemptions are based on personal, religious, or philosophical beliefs and vary significantly by state law.
Most state departments of health publish annual school-level immunization reports. You can search your state's health department website for your school district or specific school name to view the percentage of students who are fully vaccinated versus those with exemptions.
Yes, the trend is broad. Data from the CDC indicates that coverage for both the MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) and DTaP (diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis) vaccines has seen a consistent decline over the past several school years across the United States.