Vaccination Coverage for Selected Vaccines and Exemption Rates Among Children in Kindergarten - United States 2017-18 School Year.

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MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep. 2018 Oct 12;67(40):1115-1122. doi: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6740a3.

Vaccination Coverage for Selected Vaccines and Exemption Rates Among Children in Kindergarten - United States 2017-18 School Year.

Mellerson JL Maxwell CB Knighton CL Kriss JL Seither R Black CL.

Abstract

State and local school vaccination requirements exist to ensure that students are protected from vaccine-preventable diseases (1). This report summarizes vaccination coverage and exemption estimates collected by state and local immunization programs* for children in kindergarten (kindergartners) in 49 states and the District of Columbia (DC) and kindergartners provisionally enrolled (attending school without complete vaccination or exemption while completing a catch-up vaccination schedule) or in a grace period (a set interval during which a student may be enrolled and attend school without proof of complete vaccination or exemption) for 28 states. Median vaccination coverage^†was 95.1% for the state-required number of doses of diphtheria and tetanus toxoids and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP); 94.3% for 2 doses of measles mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR); and 93.8% for 2 doses of varicella vaccine. The median percentage of kindergartners with an exemption from at least one vaccine^§ was 2.2% and the median percentage provisionally enrolled or attending school during a grace period was 1.8%. Vaccination coverage among kindergartners remained high; however schools can improve coverage by following up with students who are provisionally enrolled in a grace period or lacking complete documentation of required vaccinations.

PMID: 30307904 PMCID: PMC6181259 DOI: 10.15585/mmwr.mm6740a3