LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — The number of kindergarteners who have been vaccinated continues to drop nationwide.

That includes in Kentucky and Indiana. 

For the 2021-22 school year, 93% of kindergarteners across the U.S. are fully vaccinated, meaning they have their measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) shot, polio, diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis vaccine (DTaP) and chickenpox vaccinations. 

That’s down one percentage point from the 2020-21 school year.

In Kentucky, about 87% of kindergarteners are vaccinated, and about 89% in Indiana. Both states saw a drop in vaccinations compared to before the pandemic.

In the 2018-19 school year, Kentucky saw a vaccination rate of about 95%, while Indiana saw a rate closer to 93%.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) released its annual vaccination report Thursday. The agency said the pandemic didn’t impact all students in regards to getting school-required vaccines. But schools in several states reported delays in vaccination data, or incomplete data, because of the pandemic.

Other reasons for falling vaccine rates include families missing appointments during the pandemic, and vaccine hesitancy regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.

Doctors said a continued decline in vaccinations could lead to outbreaks of diseases once thought eradicated. Recently, polio was reported in New York and outbreaks of measles were reported in Ohio in Minnesota.

Experts urge talking to your doctor about vaccinations for children. The CDC said for many kindergarteners who missed shots, there is likely time to make them up.

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