The Vaccine Divide: Immunization rates plummet as exemptions rise

Health & Wellness The Vaccine Divide: Immunization rates plummet as exemptions rise 83% of U.S. counties and jurisdictions have reported declines in childhood vaccination rates, according to data collected by NBC News and Stanford University By Kate Chappell • Published 1 hour ago • Updated 15 minutes ago The U.S. could lose its measles exemption status this week as the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) conducts the sixth annual meeting of the Regional Verification Commission for the Elimination of Measles, Rubella, and Congenital Rubella Syndrome. The designation, which carries no formal consequences but is largely seen as a reflection of the public health system, is assigned when there are no large outbreaks or transmission of the virus is considered “controlled." Stream NBC 5 for free, 24/7, wherever you are. WATCH HERE The evaluation comes as the U.S. faces its worst measles outbreak in 35 years. "I feel concerned," said Talibah Johnson, a mother of four and the community engagement manager for EverThrive Illinois , a non-profit organization working to advance health equity and access to quality healthcare. "Other parents should feel concerned as well because this is a very contagious disease, and it is preventable." The number of children vaccinated against measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) is down 3.8% in Illinois since 2019. Those declines come as the number of kindergarteners with an exemption from at least one required vaccine went up, from 2.0% in the 2019–2020 school year, to 3.5% during the 2025-26 school year. Illinois' numbers reflect a national trend. Since 2019, vaccine exemptions have increased in 86% of counties across the country. In just the latest recorded year, 66% saw an increase, according to data analyzed by the NBC News Health and Medical Unit and Stanford University. That same analysis finds since 2019, 83% of U.S. counties and jurisdictions have reported declines in childhood vaccination rates. Local Batavia 1 hour ago Suburban chiropractor sentenced to 60 years after secretly recording kids undressing Kankakee County 1 hour ago Strangled on the high seas: Kankakee native charged in bloody cruise killing "Over the last 10 to 15 years, I think many of us have recognized that across society, we've had a bit of complacency. We've taken our success for granted," said Dr. Ravi Jhaveri, the Division Head of Infectious Disease at Lurie Children’s Hospital. Jhaveri says it's "almost a foregone conclusion" the U.S. will lose its measles elimination designation at PAHO. There have been more than 5,000 measles cases in the U.S. so far in 2026, the highest in 35 years. The surge has led health officials to continue stepping up efforts to encourage vaccinations as a preventative measure, with two doses of the MMR vaccine offering 97% protection from illness, according to the CDC. "We are still vulnerable when there are pockets of 10 or 20 people in a church or in a school or somewhere else that have not gotten vaccine," said Jhaveri. "And certainly we are still at risk where a vulnerable person walks through O'Hare Airport or is in some other Chicago indoor venue. So, hopefully this will be a prompt to people to remember the importance of vaccines." Illinois Vaccine Exemptions, By the Numbers Following a national trend, requests for vaccine exemptions are on the rise in Illinois. In suburban Cook County, requests for nonmedical exemptions have increased 400% since 2019. In Lake County, requests are up 75%, 71% in McHenry County, and 50% in Will and Dupage Counties. Within one school year, nonmedical exemptions jumped 24% in Illinois, according to publicly available data on the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) website. The number of children vaccinated for MMR is down 3.8% in Illinois since 2019. In a statement, IDPH said it "continues to work closely with health care providers, schools, community organizations, and local health departments to increase vaccination access and coverage in communities with lower immunization rates.” For some, there are barriers to access to getting vaccines, from transportation to taking time off work. "Language barriers as well, but also just the scheduling for a lot of parents," said Johnson. "When a parent is working, and, you know, around children being in school," she continued. EverThrive Illinois connects Chicagoans with information about free vaccine clinics in the city and county, a mission that's personal for Johnson. "It makes me nervous as a parent and as a community member," she said. "If you have the power to protect your family, you should use it. Through our work at EverThrive Illinois, we continue to see that folks are ready to get this type of information, and to have these conversations, but they just need the folks in the community to be out there and readily available to assist them." For others, vaccine hesitancy comes down to misinformation or mixed messaging, according to Dr. Jhaveri. "The data is really strong in states that have tightened the process for requesting exemptions that requests ultimately have gone down," he said. "I think the concern that many of us have is that [exemptions] are being used as an excuse for perhaps other concerns related to safety and other stories that are being told about vaccines, whether it's on social media or public media." In a statement, the national nonprofit Stand for Health Freedom, which has opposed vaccine mandates and promotes medical freedom says its message is: “With any medical intervention, whether in response to a declared ‘emergency’ or not, true informed consent, not incomplete information, scare tactics, or coercion, must be at the base of every medical encounter and every single medical intervention. That’s the only way to maintain public trust, honor parental rights, and ultimately secure positive health outcomes for people for the long term.” In all but nine Illinois counties, childhood immunization rates are above 95%, seen by health professionals as “optimal to prevent the spread of infectious diseases." Health professionals, who overwhelmingly support childhood immunization, say what’s happening across the country should be a warning. "With measles, that fraction is still too big because it's so transmissible, but most parents are doing the things that they want to do to keep their kids and families safe," said Jhaveri. This article tagged under: Health & Wellness