Vaccination Waivers for Kindergartners Reach All-Time High

Health Officials Call for Interventions as Misinformation and State Laws Contribute to Rising Rates

Vaccination waivers among kindergartners hit an all-time high of 3% last school year, with Idaho having the highest rate of parents opting out of state-required vaccines at 12%.
Vaccine misinformation and political rhetoric during the COVID-19 pandemic have contributed to the rise in waivers for religious or personal beliefs.
In Idaho, a change in state law before the 2018-19 school year made it easier to get waivers, with the state's exemption rate that year at 7.7%.
Connecticut eliminated its longstanding religious waiver for vaccinations in 2021, resulting in a kindergartner vaccination rate of 97% or above last year and waiver rates dropping to less than 1%.
Health experts are calling for interventions on every level to get more kids immunized, including doctors talking to parents, social media campaigns, easier access to vaccines, and enforcement by schools.