Threats to vaccinations in the US (26 June 2025)

Summary

Vaccines save lives. This was once an accepted fact, but now access to, and acceptance of, vaccines is seriously threatened. The National Immunization Survey–Child (2020-2023) revealed sharp reductions (ranging from 1.3% to 7.8%) in vaccinations recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices for children by age 24 months, with vaccine coverage far lower in some geographic areas.

Vaccines once eliminated measles in the US, but measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccination rates among kindergartners have decreased from 95.2% in 2019-2020 to 92.7% in 2023-2024.2 Consequently, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported 1214 confirmed measles cases in 36 jurisdictions as of June 19, 2025.

Recent government actions are likely to lower vaccination rates even further, writes Lawrence O. Gostin and Dorit Reiss in this article in the JAMA Health Forum.