Fewer US Children Receiving Standard Vaccinations

The number of American children who began kindergarten during the 2021-2022 school year fully vaccinated against polio, measles, and diphtheria has decreased for the second year in a row, according to data compiled by the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC notes disruption in accessing regular healthcare due to the COVID-19 pandemic as the reason behind the dip and suggests public health efforts are needed to raise vaccination rates across the country. In the 2019-2020 school year, 95% of children had all state-mandated immunizations; this percentage dropped to 93% in the 2021-2022 school year. Click here to read more.