CDC report shows dropping kindergarten attendance and vaccination rates

COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported Thursday new data showing a drop in school attendance rates and vaccinations for Kindergartners.

Thursday’s data from the CDC Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report showed vaccine coverage in kindergartners dropped from 95% to 94% during 2020-2021 school year.

The CDC said this amounts to over 35,000 children entering the school system without documentation for vaccination against common diseases. These include measles, whooping cough and chicken pox.

Nationwide the organization reported a 10% drop in children entering kindergarten. This is around 400,000 fewer children than expected.

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) issued a statement encouraging parents and families to keep their children up to date on vaccinations with the return to in person learning.

DHEC Director Dr. Edward Simmer said, “While these rates are on a nationwide scale, they also reflect what South Carolina is experiencing in terms of increased sickness, recent outbreaks of preventable diseases like chickenpox, and lower school attendance.”

More information about DHEC’s county health departments and childhood vaccinations can be found at the link here.

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