Education authorities have expressed concern over the declining measles vaccination rates among kindergarteners in Maryland as the new school year begins.
Carey Wright, Maryland State Superintendent of Schools, stated during a recent back-to-school briefing that "measles is a dangerous disease that can lead to pediatric death," calling the decline in vaccination rates among kindergarteners a "concerning sign."
According to nationwide data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the national MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccination rate for kindergarteners in the 2025–2026 school year was 92.4%, a slight decrease from the previous year (92.5%). Conversely, the rate of students remaining unvaccinated through exemption requests increased from 3.6% to 4.2%.
In Maryland, the overall vaccination rate itself has remained relatively high. According to data from the Maryland Department of Health, the measles vaccination rate for the 2025–2026 school year was 96.7%, a slight increase from the previous year (96.4%).
However, the rising exemption rate remains an obstacle. The vaccination exemption rate in Maryland increased from 2.2% in the previous year to 2.5%, with the vast majority of exemption requests citing religious reasons. This survey was conducted on 65,469 kindergarteners enrolled during the past school year.
Currently, there are a total of 17 confirmed measles cases in Maryland, with 2,566 cases reported nationwide, marking a 35-year high.
Meanwhile, although the Trump administration issued an executive order on August 10 reducing the number of recommended childhood vaccines from 18 to 11, the Maryland Department of Health has maintained its stance through a statement that it will keep the state's existing mandatory childhood immunization schedule without reduction.