U.S. Kindergarten MMR Coverage Falls to 92.4% as Exemptions Reach Record 4.2% and Measles Cases Hit 2,566
Record exemptions and sub-95% MMR coverage have produced a 35-year high in U.S. measles cases, prompting a November PAHO review of elimination status. Federal policy signals favoring separate measles antigens and expanded exemptions may further fragment coverage. Observational surveillance data link these trends but cannot establish causation; prospective cohort studies tracking exemption policy changes against incidence are required.
The CDC report documents a 0.1 percentage point drop in MMR coverage from the prior year and a parallel decline in DTaP coverage to 92.0%. Approximately 280,000 kindergartners lacked complete MMR documentation. Twenty-four states exceeded 5% exemption rates, creating geographic clusters where local immunity falls well below the 95% threshold required to interrupt measles transmission. These pockets enable sustained chains of infection despite higher statewide averages.
CDC: National MMR coverage will fall below 92% by the 2026–27 school year if exemption rates continue rising at the current 0.6 percentage point annual pace.
Sources (2)
- [1]Primary Source(https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/imz-managers/coverage/schoolvaxview/data-reports/index.html)
- [2]Supporting Source(https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2206296)