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Measles vaccination coverage among U.S. kindergartners has fallen below the 95% level health officials say is generally needed to maintain community protection, while only 85.6% of Oregon kindergartners were up to date on every required vaccination.
According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, national MMR coverage declined from 95.2% in the 2019-20 school year to 92.5% in 2024-25. The CDC estimates about 286,000 kindergartners lacked full protection against measles during the latest school year.
Tidings Data Snapshot
National Kindergarten MMR Coverage Keeps SlidingSource: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention SchoolVaxViewDailyTidings.com
At the same time, the national exemption rate for at least one required vaccine rose to 3.6%- up from 3.3% the previous year.
The CDC reports that 17 states had kindergarten exemption rates above 5%. The agency warns that pockets of low vaccination can allow measles outbreaks to occur even when overall statewide coverage appears relatively high.
Oregon is seeing a significantly higher rate of vaccine exemptions.
Tidings Data Snapshot
Oregon Kindergarten Vaccination Rates Continue to Fall| Measure | 2024 to 2025 | 2025 to 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergartners fully vaccinated | 86.3% | 85.6% |
| Nonmedical exemptions | 9.7% | 10.9% |
| All K to 12 students fully vaccinated | 90.4% | 90.2% |
Source: Oregon Health Authority school immunization dataDailyTidings.com
According to the Oregon Health Authority, a record 10.9% of Oregon kindergartners claimed a nonmedical vaccine exemption during the 2025-26 school year, up from 9.7% the previous year.
Only 85.6% of Oregon kindergartners were up to date on required vaccinations. Across all grades, 90.2% of Oregon students were up to date.
OHA says the state’s school immunization system covers more than 650,000 children in schools and child care programs. The agency warns that rising exemptions create opportunities for measles and other preventable diseases to spread in schools.
Oregon had the nation’s fourth-highest nonmedical exemption rate the previous year, behind Idaho, Alaska and Utah. With vaccination coverage well below the 95% threshold, health officials say increasing exemptions could leave more Oregon communities vulnerable to outbreaks.
Measles is highly contagious and spreads through the air. Two doses of the MMR vaccine are about 97% effective against measles, while one dose is about 93%
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