Childhood vaccination rates for the 2024-25 school year fell for the fifth year in a row, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC data also show that vaccine exemptions, for the fourth year in a row, have hit a new record high. The percentage of kindergartners with an exemption from one or more vaccine rose from 3.3% in 2023-24 to 3.6% in 2024-25. In the 2020-21 school year, 2.5% of children entering kindergarten had an exemption.

U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates inched down again last year and the share of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to federal data posted Thursday.The fraction of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 4.