Hawaii kindergarten vaccine rates fall to 89% for 2025-26 school year
Fewer Hawaii kindergartners are showing up to school vaccinated, which worries health officials and reverses three years of gains.
- Kindergarten vaccination in Hawaii fell to 89% this school year, down from 92%.
- Religious exemptions rose from 5.5% to 6% of kindergartners.
- State health officials say the drop wipes out a three-year run of improvement.
- Lower coverage raises the risk of outbreaks of diseases like measles in schools.
Outlook: Health officials are expected to push harder on childhood immunization as the new school year gets underway.