Statement from AAP in Response to Declining Vaccine Rates Among Kindergarteners in the United States

A statement from American Academy of Pediatrics President Andrew D. Racine, M.D., Ph.D., FAAP in response to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report showing declining vaccination rates among kindergarteners:

“What today’s data show is that over 92 percent of kindergarteners in the United States are vaccinated. When it comes to vaccination rates, however, anything less than achieving an A+ grade is not good enough. For some diseases like measles, even a small decrease in vaccination rates can lead to more outbreaks of disease because community immunity requires over 95% of susceptible individuals to be immunized. 
This risk is real: The United States is experiencing a 35-year high for measles cases as federal officials continue to elevate misleading and disproven information about vaccines, inserting unnecessary fear and confusion into families’ decision making. And we are seeing the results. More than a quarter of a million children started kindergarten last year without protection from the MMR vaccine. 

"The CDC data show a 17% increase in exemptions from school vaccine requirements alongside the recent decrease in immunizations among kindergarteners. The American Academy of Pediatrics supports policies that ensure all children have access to vaccines and that families are encouraged to take advantage of this protection for their children to preserve their school as a safe place to learn.  

“Pediatricians stand ready to cut through the chaos and talk with families about vaccines. We know that when parents have access to accurate information and empathetic conversations with their pediatricians, they tend to choose to vaccinate. We want to keep it that way." 

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The American Academy of Pediatrics is an organization of 67,000 primary care pediatricians, pediatric medical subspecialists and pediatric surgical specialists dedicated to the health, safety and well-being of infants, children, adolescents and young adults.