NEW YORK (AP) — U.S. kindergarten vaccination rates dipped last year and the proportion of children with exemptions rose to an all-time high, according to federal data posted Wednesday.
The share of kids exempted from vaccine requirements rose to 3.3%, up from 3% the year before. Meanwhile, 92.7% of kindergartners got their required shots, which is a little lower than the previous two years. Before the COVID-19 pandemic the vaccination rate was 95%, the coverage level that makes it unlikely that a single infection will spark a disease cluster or outbreak.
The changes may seem slight but are significant, translating to about 80,000 kids not getting vaccinated, health officials say.
The rates help explain a worrisome creep in cases of whooping cough, measles and other vaccine-preventable diseases, said Dr. Raynard Washington, chair of the Big Cities Health Coalition, which represents 35 large metropolitan public health departments.
“We all have been challenged with emerging outbreaks ... across the country,” said Washington, the director of the health department serving Charlotte, North Carolina.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data show that coverage with MMR, DTaP, polio and chickenpox vaccines decreased in more than 30 states among kindergartners for the 2023-2024 school year, Washington noted.
Public health officials focus on vaccination rates for kindergartners because schools can be cauldrons for germs and launching pads for community outbreaks.
For years, those rates were high, thanks largely to school attendance mandates that required key vaccinations. All U.S. states and territories require that children attending child care centers and schools be vaccinated against a number of diseases, including, measles, mumps, polio, tetanus, whooping cough and chickenpox.
All states allow exemptions for children with medical conditions that prevent them from receiving certain vaccines. And most also permit exemptions for religious or other nonmedical reasons.
In the last decade, the percentage of kindergartners with medical exemptions has held steady, at about 0.2%. But the percentage with nonmedical exemptions has inched up, lifting the overall exemption rate from 1.6% in the 2011-2012 school year to more than twice that last year.
The rates can be influenced by state laws or policies that make it harder or easier to obtain exemptions, and by local attitudes among families and doctors about the need to get children vaccinated. For example, according to the CDC data, 14.3% of kindergartners had an exemption to one or more vaccines in Idaho. But fewer than 1% did in Connecticut and Mississippi.
Within states, clustering of unvaccinated kids can be even more concentrated in particular communities or schools, said Noel Brewer, a University of North Carolina professor of health behavior.
“People who are skeptical (about vaccinees) tend to live close to one another and create the conditions for a breakthrough of measles and other diseases,” he said.
The slide in vaccination rates was not unexpected. Online misinformation and the political schism that emerged around COVID-19 vaccines have led more parents to question the routine childhood vaccinations that they used to automatically accept, experts say.
A decrease has already been reported in Louisville, Kentucky — a city that has been celebrated as a vaccination success story. And a CDC report last week noted a decline in vaccination rates for 2-year-olds.
Measles and whooping cough cases are at their highest levels since 2019, and there are still three months left in the year. And 200 flu-associated pediatric deaths were reported in the 2023-2024 season, the most since 2009.
Charlotte's Mecklenburg County this year saw North Carolina's first measles case since 2018. Mecklenburg also saw 19 whooping cough infections and three people with mumps earlier this year, said Washington, who noted the county usually sees none.
Increases in international travel and people moving to the Charlotte area from other countries raises the risk of introduction of vaccine-preventable diseases, “so it's concerning when you start to lose coverage of vaccines among your population,” Washington said.
The Associated Press Health and Science Department receives support from the Howard Hughes Medical Institute’s Science and Educational Media Group. The AP is solely responsible for all content.
This story has been corrected to show the data was posted Wednesday, not Tuesday.
FILE - A vial of a measles, mumps and rubella vaccine sits on a countertop at a pediatrics clinic in Greenbrae, Calif., on Feb. 6, 2015. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg, File)
HOUSTON (AP) — Manager A.J. Hinch wanted his Detroit Tigers to embody their home city. Hard-working with a never-give-up attitude, but most of all a team that had grit.
That's how they stormed into October — and just kept going.
Andy Ibáñez hit a tiebreaking three-run double in Detroit’s four-run eighth inning, and the Tigers swept the Houston Astros with a 5-2 victory in Game 2 of their AL Wild Card Series on Wednesday.
“Our city is built on grit,” a jubilant Hinch said in a prosecco-soaked clubhouse. “That’s what it is. I remember saying that I wanted to have a team that this city is proud of. I think the city is pretty proud of what we’re doing and how we’re doing it and the fight that this team shows.”
Parker Meadows homered as Detroit ended Houston's run of seven consecutive appearances in the AL Championship Series. It was a sweet moment for Hinch, who led Houston to a championship in 2017 and was fired in the aftermath of the Astros' sign-stealing scandal.
“This is what you play for,” he said. “Baseball’s great.”
Next up for the wild-card Tigers is a trip to Cleveland to take on the AL Central champions in a best-of-five AL Division Series. Game 1 is on Saturday.
“Regardless that nobody was rooting for us, regardless that nobody was putting us in the playoffs in a good spot, we didn’t care,” Ibáñez said. “We just put in hard work ... to make the results come.”
Kerry Carpenter sparked Detroit's eighth-inning rally with a one-out single off Ryan Pressly (0-1), who converted his first 14 postseason save opportunities. Carpenter advanced to third on a single by Matt Vierling and scored on a wild pitch, tying it at 2.
Pressly departed after Colt Keith reached on a two-out walk, and closer Josh Hader walked Spencer Torkelson to load the bases.
Hinch then sent Ibáñez up to hit for Zach McKinstry, and he lined a 1-2 sinker into the corner in left for a 5-2 lead.
Ibáñez hadn't driven in a run since Sept. 10. He hit just .167 in September.
“He’s had a tough stretch,” Hinch said. “But his season restarts in October, and he’s showing that.”
Vierling, Keith and Torkelson jumped around and high-fived in celebration after scoring on Ibáñez's clutch swing. Ibáñez raised his arms high above his head and smiled as he reached second.
Hader, who signed a $95 million, five-year contract with Houston in January, allowed three hits and walked two in 1 1/3 innings.
Detroit used seven different pitchers a day after pitching Triple Crown winner Tarik Skubal got the win in the series opener. Sean Guenther pitched 1 2/3 innings for the win in Game 2, and Will Vest handled the ninth for the save.
In the postseason for the first time since 2014, Detroit also got a solo home run from Meadows in the sixth to help the franchise to its first playoff series win since the 2013 ALDS.
Just making it to the playoffs seemed improbable before Detroit went 31-13 down the stretch in the regular season, helped along by the leadership of Hinch — who knows a little something about October success from his time with the Astros.
“They did everything right to win the series,” Houston second baseman Jose Altuve said.
Eight of the first nine Wild Card Series since they began in 2002 have been sweeps. It’s the fourth sweep in postseason history for the Tigers, who previously swept the AL Championship Series in 1984, 2006 and 2012.
The Astros jumped in front in the seventh, but they lost their seventh straight postseason game at home. Houston's ALCS streak included four World Series appearances and two titles.
“It’s tough,” manager Joe Espada said. “But I want our guys to be proud of how far we’ve come. It was a very challenging season, and we reached the postseason — that’s our goal every year. We win the division, and then play deep into the playoffs. It didn’t happen for us this year, but I want our guys to be proud of their resiliency and how tough this season was."
The AL West champions failed to get the big hits they relied on in the regular season, but manufactured a pair of runs with hustle plays in the seventh.
Mauricio Dubón hit a bunt single to load the bases with no outs. Pinch-hitter Jon Singleton hit a chopper that was fielded by first baseman Torkelson, who threw home from his knees. The throw was in front of the plate and not in time to beat Victor Caratini.
Torkelson, who was given an error on the play, smacked the ground in disgust after Caratini touched home, tying it at 1.
Altuve then hit a flyball that Vierling caught in foul territory in right, but his throw home wasn’t in time to beat the speedy Jeremy Peña.
Houston designated hitter Yordan Alvarez returned for this series after sitting out since spraining his right knee Sept. 22. He had two hits Tuesday, but he went 0 for 3 with a walk in Game 2 while clearly still struggling with the injury.
Asked if he would have played if these were regular-season games, he said: “That's a really good question, I don't know.”
Houston starter Hunter Brown had allowed just one hit on a double in the second when Meadows smacked his home run off the foul pole in right field to start the sixth.
Brown struck out nine in 5 1/3 innings in his eighth postseason game and first start.
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Detroit Tigers' Wenceel Perez, right, celebrates with the team in the clubhouse after defeating the Houston Astros in Game 2 to clinch the AL Wild Card baseball series, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
The Detroit Tigers celebrate in the clubhouse after defeating the Houston Astros in Game 2 to clinch the AL Wild Card baseball series, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers, center, celebrates with the team in the clubhouse after the their 5-2 win against the Houston Astros in Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch, center, celebrates his team's 5-2 win against the Houston Astros in Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
The Detroit Tigers pose for a team photo after their 5-2 win against the Houston Astros in Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
The Detroit Tigers celebrate in the clubhouse after defeating the Houston Astros in Game 2 to clinch the AL Wild Card baseball series, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Detroit Tigers manager A.J. Hinch celebrates with his team in the clubhouse after defeating the Houston Astros in Game 2 to clinch the AL Wild Card baseball series, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
The Detroit Tigers celebrate in the clubhouse after defeating the Houston Astros in Game 2 to clinch the AL Wild Card baseball series, Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers (34) and relief pitcher Jackson Jobe (21) work on Jobe's communications device as home plate umpire Jordan Baker (71) looks on in the seventh inning of Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Detroit Tigers third baseman Zach McKinstry (39) and shortstop Trey Sweeney (27) celebrate after completing a double play that off a ground ball by Houston Astros' Yainer Diaz in the sixth inning of Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Houston Astros' Mauricio Dubon celebrates his bunt for a single against the Detroit Tigers in the seventh inning of Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Detroit Tigers' Spencer Torkelson, center, celebrates in front of umpire Jordan Baker, left, and Houston Astros catcher Yainer Diaz, right, after Torkelson scored on a bases-clearing double by Andy Ibanez in the eighth inning of Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Houston Astros' Josh Hader throws to the Detroit Tigers in the eighth inning of Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Detroit Tigers catcher Jake Rogers reaches out for the throw to the plate as Houston Astros' Jeremy Pena, right, scores on a Jose Altuve sacrifice fly in the seventh inning of Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Detroit Tigers' Andy Ibanez follows through on a bases-clearing double against the Houston Astros in the eighth inning of Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
Detroit Tigers' Andy Ibanez celebrates his bases-clearing double against the Houston Astros in the eighth inning of Game 2 of an AL Wild Card Series baseball game Wednesday, Oct. 2, 2024, in Houston. (AP Photo/Kevin M. Cox)
