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Vaccines

Georgia's Childhood Vaccination Rates Fall Below Herd Immunity Threshold

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

As students return to school in Georgia, medical experts and educators are concerned about the decline in childhood vaccination rates. Data show that Georgias kindergarten students are falling short of the threshold for herd immunity, with only 88.4% receiving the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine during the 2023-24 school year, compared to 93.6% in the 2019-20 school year. Meanwhile, exemption rates are on the rise, from 2.5% in 2019-20 to 3.6% in 2023-24.

Key Takeaways:

  • Childhood vaccination rates in Georgia have fallen below the threshold for herd immunity, with 88.4% of kindergarten students receiving the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine in 2023-24, compared to 93.6% in 2019-20.
  • The decline in vaccinations has led to a rise in exemption rates, from 2.5% in 2019-20 to 3.6% in 2023-24.
  • Physicians are concerned about the decline in vaccinations that protect against preventable diseases like measles, which was eradicated in the U.S. in 2000 but has seen over 1,000 cases in 2025.
  • Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine skeptic, has stated that measles outbreaks are inevitable due to the waning of vaccine immunity.
  • Pediatricians across the state are spending more time combating misinformation patients find online, with parents expressing concerns such as "That vaccine has poison in it" and "Kids will die from the vaccine."
  • Dr. Felipe Lobelo, a medical epidemiologist, emphasizes that not all diseases are equal and that the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to increased mistrust and disinformation.

Statistics:

  • 88.4% of Georgia kindergarten students received the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine in 2023-24, compared to 93.6% in 2019-20.
  • 3.6% of Georgia kindergartners in 2023-24 received exemptions from vaccinations, up from 2.5% in 2019-20.
  • Over 1,000 measles cases have been reported in the U.S. in 2025, with six cases reported in Georgia.
  • Exemption rates for vaccinations in Georgia have been trending upward since 2019-20, when they were at 2.5%.

Sources:

  • "AJC Investigation: Georgia's Childhood Vaccination Rates Continue to Decline" by Martha Dalton and Ariel Hart (no publication date mentioned)
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) (no specific date mentioned)
  • CBS News (no specific date mentioned)
  • American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) (no specific date mentioned)
  • Kaiser Permanente of Georgia (no specific date mentioned)

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