Vaccination rates fall as more parents opt out

NPR | By Rob Stein

Published August 18, 2026 at 4:58 PM EDT

More parents are getting exemptions for their kids so they don't have to get vaccinated for kindergarten, and fewer kids are getting their shots. That's according to the latest data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. This comes as the Trump administration is trying to reduce the number of vaccinations children get, and childhood diseases like measles are resurging.

Rob Stein

Rob Stein is a Correspondent and Senior Editor on NPR's Science Desk.

See stories by Rob Stein

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