Vaccine exemptions increased

The percentage of Kansas kindergartners with vaccine exemptions increased from 2.99% in the 2023-24 school year to 3.59% in 2024-25, according to survey data released this fall by the Kansas Department of Health and Environment. It was the fourth consecutive year the exemption rate increased.

Some area school districts saw significantly higher exemption increases: Maize, 4.05% to 7.75%; Haysville, 1.56% to 6.6%. Goddard’s rate decreased but was still higher than the state average: 7.12% to 5.01%. The Wichita school district’s exemption rate increased from 2.61% to 3.04%.

Statewide, the percentage of kindergartners who received the state-required vaccines had a modest increase, from 86.69% to 87.03%. However, 22 counties had rates less than 75%, including Morton County in southwest Kansas, where only 50% of kindergartners had the required vaccines. Sedgwick County’s rate was 88.07%.

A decline in vaccination rates can allow diseases to regain a foothold, as measles did this year. Statewide, the rate of MMR vaccinations in kindergartners decreased from 94.47% in the 2019-20 school year to 90.59% last year, according to the KDHE data.

The World Health Organization says 95% of a population needs to be vaccinated against measles to achieve herd immunity.

Kindergarten Vaccine Exemption Rates