Report Reveals Decline in U.S. Childhood Vaccination Rates

(MENAFN) A new investigation has revealed a troubling trend of declining childhood vaccination rates across the United States, with the majority of counties experiencing significant drops over the past several years, according to a media report released Tuesday.

The six-month investigation, conducted in partnership with Stanford University, utilized extensive data from state governments and public archives, spanning decades in some cases. One of the key findings: a substantial portion of the U.S. now lacks the baseline immunity needed to effectively prevent the spread of measles—once a disease on the brink of eradication.

Since 2019, more than three-quarters of U.S. counties and jurisdictions have reported notable declines in childhood vaccination rates, with drops ranging from under 1 percentage point to over 40 percentage points, the analysis showed.

The study also highlighted a concerning nationwide trend of rising vaccine exemptions for schoolchildren. In fact, exemption rates have more than doubled in as many as 53% of counties and jurisdictions since the initial year of data collection.

This report arrives just as Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced the state's decision to eliminate all vaccine requirements for school attendance—a bold move that departs sharply from long-standing U.S. public health practices.

The investigation further revealed that 68% of counties in states tracking measles-mumps-rubella (MMR) vaccine data now fall below the crucial 95% vaccination threshold, which health experts say is necessary to ensure herd immunity and prevent outbreaks.

In St. Louis, Missouri, for example, the percentage of children entering kindergarten with all state-mandated vaccines has dropped from 91.6% in the 2010–2011 school year to just 75.9% in 2024–2025. Similarly, the number of families requesting vaccine exemptions in the city has risen from 0.3% in 2010 to 3.4% in the most recent school year. In Missouri, exemptions can be granted for either medical or religious reasons.

The findings come at a time when Robert F. Kennedy Jr., the U.S. health and human services secretary, is facing criticism for promoting vaccine skepticism and appointing other vaccine doubters to prominent government positions.

The growing trend of vaccine hesitancy and exemptions has raised alarms among public health experts, who warn that this could lead to dangerous outbreaks of preventable diseases like measles.

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