State exemption levels low, national vaccination rates high

Click image to enlarge. National Childhood Vaccination Rates and State/Community Data. Source: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/parents/infographics/schoolvaxview-states.html

Vaccine exemption levels for kindergarteners are low for most states and infant vaccination rates are high nationally, according to data from two reports published in this week’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR).

The first report looked at vaccination coverage and exemption levels among children entering kindergarten for the 2014-2015 school year. Nationally, exemption levels remain low with a median level of 1.7 percent. However, state exemption levels ranged from a low of less than 0.1 percent in Mississippi to a high of 6.5 percent in Idaho. Additionally, five states did not meet the reporting standards for providing exemption data.

The second report examined vaccination rates among children ages 19 months through 35 months for 2014. Vaccination coverage remained high: over 90 percent for measles-mumps-rubella (MMR); polio; hepatitis B; and varicella vaccines. The percentage of children who do not receive vaccinations also remained low, at less than 1 percent.

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