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accessHealthNews.net
August 2025
Volume 11 | Issue No. 99
The numbers don't lie, and they're
troubling. As families across Missouri
prepare for the 2025-26 school year,
vaccination rates continue their
downward slide, creating ripple effects
that extend far beyond individual
households.
Missouri's kindergarten measles
vaccination rate dropped from
91.3% in 2022-23 to 90.4% in 2023-24,
according to the Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC). While
that might seem like a small decline, it
represents thousands of children who
remain vulnerable to a disease that was
declared eliminated in the United States
just 25 years ago.
We're not alone in this struggle. National
kindergarten vaccination rates fell below
93% for all reported vaccines during the
2023-24 school year, continuing a steady
decline from the 95% coverage achieved
in 2019-20. Missouri's neighboring state of
Kansas mirrors these concerning trends,
with MMR vaccination rates holding
steady at 90.4%; Missouri's rates dropped
to 90.4% from 94.6% just five years ago.
August's designation as National
Immunization Awareness Month serves
as a timely reminder that these aren't just
statistics—they represent real children
in real classrooms and real families
grappling with complex decisions about
their children's health.
The Reality of Missouri's Requirements
Let's start with what families actually
need to know. The Missouri Department
of Health and Senior Services (DHSS)
requires specific immunizations for all
students attending public, private,
parochial, and parish schools.
READ MORE
"Nine out of 10 nonimmunized people are susceptible and
will catch the virus if they are around a person with measles;
declining vaccinations because of hesitancy and vaccine denial
is making its comeback again."
- Dr. Amruta Padhye,
Pediatrician with University of Missouri Health Care
