Vaccination rates among American kindergartners have dropped to their lowest recorded level across all major jabs, with the exemption rate hitting a record high, according to new figures reported by the BMJ.
The figures, shared by the BMJ on social media, show that fewer young children in the United States are receiving routine vaccinations than at any point previously tracked. Every major vaccine measured has seen a decline, and the share of families claiming exemptions — whether medical, religious, or philosophical — has never been higher.
The BMJ has not yet published a full breakdown of which vaccines saw the steepest falls, or which US states are driving the trend. But the headline finding — a simultaneous record low in uptake and record high in opt-outs — points to a broad shift rather than a single localised dip.
Kindergartners in the US are typically aged five to six. Routine vaccinations at that stage usually cover measles, mumps and rubella (MMR), chickenpox (varicella), polio, and diphtheria, tetanus and whooping cough (DTaP).
The data is American. There is no suggestion from the BMJ report that UK vaccination rates are affected.
NHS England monitors childhood vaccination coverage separately. Parents or carers in Kent with questions about their child’s jabs can contact their GP surgery or call NHS 111 for guidance on which vaccinations are due and how to book them.
Source: @bmj_latest
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