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How many N.J. school kids are skipping vaccines? See county by county rates.
yahoo.com • • health
Key Points:
- CDC data for the 2025-2026 school year shows a decline in vaccination rates among U.S. kindergartners, with non-medical vaccine exemptions rising from 3.6% to 4.2%, driven by increased vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.
- In New Jersey, 92.5% of kindergartners received the MMR vaccine, slightly above the national median but down from the previous year, with declines also seen in vaccines for other serious diseases.
- The state's overall vaccination coverage dropped in both public and non-public schools during the 2024-2025 academic year, with non-medical exemptions, particularly for religious reasons, more than doubling since 2017-2018.
- Despite federal changes and controversial executive orders under the Trump administration recommending fewer childhood vaccines and separate MMR shots, New Jersey rejects these changes and supports the American Academy of Pediatrics' immunization schedule.
- New Jersey health officials emphasize the importance of clear, science-based vaccine guidance and remain committed to ensuring families have access to vaccines that protect children from preventable diseases.
