Parents in the United States are increasingly declining vaccines for their children, raising alarm among health officials as preventable diseases resurface at record levels.
A new poll from The Washington Post and KFF found that one in six parents have either skipped or delayed vaccinating their children against illnesses other than Covid-19 or the flu. Researchers also identified five traits common among parents most likely to leave their children unvaccinated.
The findings come as measles cases surge nationwide. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported in July that the number of measles cases in 2025 had already surpassed every year since the disease was declared eliminated in the U.S. in 2000.
Who is most likely to avoid vaccines?
According to the poll, the parents who most often delayed or skipped vaccines tended to be White, Republican, very religious, homeschoolers, and under 35 years old.
The results showed 46% of American parents who homeschool their children were unlikely to vaccinate them, compared with 36% of very religious parents. Republicans were twice as likely as parents from other political parties to skip vaccinations. White parents were four times as likely to forgo vaccines as Asian American parents.
Vaccination rates are falling
Separate research from KFF also revealed a steady decline in nationwide vaccination rates. The report showed that exemptions from school vaccination requirements continue to increase, leaving more children vulnerable.
The CDC said that in 2025, only 92.5% of kindergarteners were vaccinated against measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), and polio. The national target is 95%, a threshold public health experts say is necessary to prevent outbreaks. More than half of U.S. states, 39 in total, fell below the recommended MMR vaccination rate for the 2024–2025 school year.
Why parents refuse vaccines
A 2023 study by the National Institutes of Health found that many parents who skip vaccinations believe their children are unlikely to contract serious diseases. Others said they doubted the effectiveness of vaccines.
The most cited reason for refusing the MMR vaccine was fear of autism, despite repeated findings from medical experts that no such link exists. The spread of misinformation, particularly in the years following the COVID-19 pandemic, has fueled skepticism and vaccine hesitancy.
Public health officials warn that declining vaccination rates could lead to renewed outbreaks of diseases once under control. Experts emphasize that vaccines remain one of the safest and most effective tools for protecting children and communities from serious illness.