August 18, 2026- The Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) released the latest data on vaccine coverage among kindergarteners during the 2025-26 school year, finding that 92.4 percent of students had received the MMR vaccine. The ideal rate required to prevent widespread outbreaks is considered to be 95 percent, per the CDC. Coverage with MMR, DTaP, poliovirus vaccine (polio), and varicella vaccine (VAR) decreased in more than half of U.S. states, compared with coverage the year before. Exemptions increased in 41 states and DC, with 24 states reporting exemptions exceeding 5%.