As U.S. vaccination rates fall, see how your school compares
The Washington Post••health
Key Points:
- Vaccination rates among U.S. kindergarten students have significantly declined since before the pandemic, with only 28 percent of counties now achieving the 95 percent measles vaccination rate needed for herd immunity, down from 50 percent pre-pandemic.
- The decline is linked to political backlash against public health mandates during the COVID-19 pandemic, reduced enforcement of vaccine requirements by schools, and growing vaccine skepticism, especially in conservative areas.
- At least 5.2 million kindergarten-age children live in counties below herd immunity thresholds, increasing the risk of measles and other vaccine-preventable disease outbreaks, with the U.S. currently experiencing its highest measles case count in over three decades.
- State policies allowing nonmedical vaccine exemptions correlate with larger drops
