Utah has the nation's third highest rate of vaccine exemptions
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Utah's share of fully-immunized children is plummeting as more and more parents seek waivers for vaccines that have long protected Americans from diseases.
Why it matters: Our vaccination rates are far below the 95% needed for herd immunity against highly contagious illnesses like measles and whooping cough.
Driving the news: New CDC data show Utah had the nation's third-highest rate of vaccine exemptions for kindergarteners last school year.
Catch up quick: More than 9% obtained waivers for fall 2023.
Zoom out: Idaho had the highest rate by far, with waivers for 14.3% of kindergarteners.
- Alaska's exemption rate shot to 9.5% — the second-highest.
- Utah's waiver rate surpassed Oregon's this year, which had the nation's second-highest rate for 2022-2023.
The big picture: Nationally, 3.3% of kindergarteners obtained exemptions last year, up from 3% the year before.
What's next: With noted vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. set to take a prominent public health role in the incoming Trump administration, it's likely that vaccine skepticism will go increasingly mainstream — despite the risk to kids left unprotected from diseases like measles and polio.