Aug 4, 2025 - News
Tennessee vaccine exemptions rise among kindergarteners
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Vaccination coverage among Tennessee kindergartners continued to tick down during the last school year, according to new data from the CDC.
Why it matters: The latest data extends a years-long downward trend in childhood vaccinations.
By the numbers: In Tennessee, 3.8% of kindergarteners got vaccine exemptions during the 2024-25 school year, up from 3.6% the year prior.
Flashback: Less than 1% of Tennessee kindergarteners had an exemption in 2011-12.
The big picture: The pull away from vaccines is happening nationwide. Exemptions grew in 36 states and in D.C. during the last school year, and 17 states reported exemption numbers exceeding 5%.
- The drop coincides with measles cases hitting a 33-year high in the U.S., while President Trump's Health Department secretary, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., upends long-standing vaccine norms.