Texas kindergarten measles vaccination rates increased slightly to 93.3% during the 2025-26 school year, according to data released by the Texas Department of State Health Services on Wednesday, July 1, 2026.
The minor 0.1% increase follows a severe 2025 outbreak that caused over 750 cases and two deaths.
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Despite the uptick, statewide immunization coverage remains below pre-pandemic levels and under the 95% threshold required for herd immunity.
Exemptions Reach Historic Highs
Conscientious exemptions also hit a record high, with the statewide kindergarten opt-out rate rising to 4.45%.
More than 150,000 K-12 students statewide held exemptions for at least one vaccine.
A new state law, House Bill 1586, accelerated this trend by allowing parents to download exemption forms online instead of receiving them via mail.
Notarization remains mandatory.
Rekha Lakshmanan, executive director of The Immunization Partnership, said the report shows the cumulative impact of these policies.
She noted regional gains in outbreak epicenters like Gaines County, which rose to 80%, but other areas saw expanding exemption rates.
Lakshmanan expressed deeper concerns about broader immunization trends, pointing out that polio exemptions among kindergarteners have doubled since the pandemic.
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She warned of potential future public health emergencies if exemptions continue to climb.
Rebecca Hardy, president of Texans for Vaccine Choice, praised the legislation for making the exemption process more accessible.
She said it's no surprise that more parents exercised their right to make informed choices when government barriers were removed.
School health officials viewed the data differently.
Becca Harkleroad, executive director of the Texas School Nurses Organization, said the numbers are concerning but not surprising.
She cited pandemic-related disruptions to well-child visits and erosion of trust in science.
Local data varied significantly. Tarrant County's rate dipped to 93%, and individual school vulnerabilities rose where campus-level vaccination dropped below 90%.
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Dr. David Higgins, a pediatrician at the University of Colorado, emphasized that hyper-local vaccination rates are what truly matter.
