How many kids are vaccinated?
Nearly three-quarters (73.7%) of children born in 2021 and 2022 were fully vaccinated with the CDC-recommended vaccines by age 3.
Children born in the 2020s completed their vaccinations at a rate on par with children born in the 2010s.
To control infectious diseases in the US population, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends that all children get a set of vaccines known as the “combined 7-series” vaccines, by the time they turn 2.
About 73.7% of children born in 2021 and 2022 completed their combined 7-series vaccinations by 35 months, compared to the high of 76.1% of children born in 2018 and 2019.
However, the difference between the rates for children born before and after the pandemic were not statistically significant.
What’s included in the combined 7-series vaccines?
The series includes vaccines to protect against:
- Chickenpox (varicella): 1 or more doses
- Diphtheria, lockjaw (tetanus), and whooping cough (pertussis): 4 or more doses, commonly of the DTaP vaccine
- Hepatitis B: three or more doses
- Hib infections: three to four or more doses, depending on the vaccine
- Measles: one or more doses, commonly of the MMR vaccine
- Pneumococcal diseases: four or more doses, commonly of the PCV vaccine
- Polio: three or more doses
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How have childhood vaccination rates changed over time?
Many children are vaccinated at higher rates with individual vaccines than the combined 7-series. For example, estimated Hib vaccination rates of children in their first 35 months of life fell: from 84.8% in children born in 2011 to 82.0% in those born in 2022. It was the only vaccination rate decline with statistical significance.
One vaccination rate increase had a statistically significant change: Hepatitis B with an increase of 3.4 points from 2011.
All other vaccinations in the combined 7-series — pneumococcal disease (PCV), chickenpox, MMR, Polio and DTaP — did not have vaccination rate changes that were statistically significant over the last decade.
The highest rate of vaccination by age 3 in 2022 was MMR at a rate of 96.9%.
Chickenpox, MMR, Hepatitis B and polio vaccination rates have been above 91.0% since 2011. DTaP, PCV, Hepatitis A and Hib rates were lower than 90.0% in that same time.
Combined 7-series vaccination rates are on par with 2011 rates.
Vaccination rate estimates by 35 months of age, by year of child's birth, 2011–2022
The combined 7-series vaccination rate — historically lower than the rates of its individual components — reached a high of 76.1% 2018, then fell to 72.7% for children born in 2021. The CDC attributes the lower vaccination rate for children born in 2020–21 to disruptions to the COVID-19 pandemic, and to changes in exemption policies in childcare facilities.
Fewer children have received every single dose of all seven vaccines, even if they’re getting vaccinated for some of them; the full combined 7-series requires administration of all recommended doses.
Have changes in vaccination rates impacted infection numbers?
The estimated DTaP vaccination rate peaked in 2018 at 89.3%. The DTaP vaccine protects kids against whooping cough, diphtheria and tetanus. Whooping cough cases reportedly hit a high in November 2024; preliminary case numbers show that there are fewer cases in 2026 as of July compared to the same period in 2025. It’s worth noting that whooping cough cases were temporarily down during the pandemic when students were wearing masks and/or going to school remotely.
The highest rate for MMR vaccinations, which protects against measles, mumps, and rubella was in 2022 at 96.9%. The 219 measles cases reported between January 1 and August 15, 2024 exceeded the annual number of cases reported from 2020 to 2023.
Which vaccines are kids most likely to get?
Among kids born in 2021 and 2022, vaccination rates by age 3 were highest for polio, chickenpox, and measles, mumps, and rubella, at 93.7% each. The next highest rate was among children fully vaccinated for Hepatitis B (93.2%).
Nearly three-quarters (73.7%) of children completed the full combined 7-series vaccines before they turned 3 years old.
Children are most vaccinated against polio, chickenpox and MMR.
Full vaccination coverage among young children (35 months), by type of vaccine, 2021–2022
Has the CDC proposed changes for childhood vaccine recommendations?
In January 2026, the CDC proposed updates to its childhood vaccine schedule to recommend eight vaccines for all children.
The update followed a December 2025 presidential memorandum directing the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and the Acting Director of the CDC to review US childhood vaccination recommendations against practices and scientific evidence from peer, developed countries. The memorandum instructed agencies to update US recommendations pending the review findings.
The CDC’s proposed childhood vaccine recommendations have not taken effect.
January 2026 proposed changes are pending litigation as of July 2026
These recommendations are not final, however: in March 2026, the American Academy of Pediatrics, along with other medical and public health organizations, filed a lawsuit against Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and other federal health officials and agencies over whether the process used to make the changes was lawful.
A federal court temporarily blocked the CDC’s recommended immunization schedule changes while the case is being considered.
Which states have the highest vaccination rates?
The highest rates of combined 7-series vaccinations for kids born in 2021 and 2022 were in:
- Massachusetts (89.8%)
- New Hampshire (86.7%)
- Connecticut (84.0%)
- West Virginia (83.4%)
- Iowa (82.7%)
Massachusetts, as do all states, requires certain vaccinations for enrollment in childcare and preschool. However, it’s the only state with a rate higher than 89%.
Three of the five states with the highest vaccination rates are in the Northeast. According to the CDC, vaccine exemptions tend to cluster geographically, making some communities at greater risk for outbreaks.
Massachusetts had the highest young children’s vaccination rate at 89.8%.
Estimated combined 7-series vaccination coverage among young children (35 months), by state/territory, 2021–2022
Which states have the lowest vaccination rates?
The lowest combined 7-series vaccination rates for kids born in 2021 and 2022 were in:
- Alaska (60.4%)
- Mississippi (66.6%)
- Georgia (67.2%)
- California (67.5%)
- Texas (67.7%)
Some states, such as Montana, have laws prohibiting differential treatment based on vaccination status. Daycares and schools can still require completion of Montana’s childcare attendance vaccine requirements, which align with the combined 7-series.
Parents may still request non-medical exemptions for their children. The national non-medical vaccine exemption rate for kindergarteners increased from 3.7% for the 2023–24 school year to 4.0% for 2024–25.
In the 2024–25 school year, the CDC reported that vaccine exemptions increased among kindergartners to 3.6% from 3.3% the previous school year. Exemptions can be medical, religious, and philosophical.
Where does this data come from?
Where does this data come from?
Data in this article comes from the National Immunization Surveys, a group of phone surveys used to assess vaccination coverage among children that is conducted by the Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Telephone interviews are randomly selected by a computer and conducted with parents or guardians in all 50 states, the Washington, DC, selected local areas, and some U.S. territories. Participation is voluntary, and the CDC will ask for permission to follow-up with vaccination providers to collect the information on the types of vaccinations, number of doses, dates of administration, and other details.
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Keep exploring
- Which vaccines are recommended for American adults? - The CDC recommends annual flu shots and COVID-19 boosters for all adults, but vaccination rates differ by age and state.
- What is the state of RSV in the United States? - RSV rates — which tend to climb in the fall and winter months — are highest for children under the age of five.
- More kids are getting vaccine exemptions. Here’s where. - Nonmedical vaccine exemption rates in kindergarteners have increased since 2014, while medical exemptions remained stable.
- How common are STDs in the US? - The CDC estimates that one in five Americans has an STD. Young adults from ages 20 to 34 have the highest rates of infection.
