A recent trend in Louisiana has shown an alarming increase in the number of parents choosing to opt out of vaccinating their children before sending them to school.
Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reveals that the percentage of Louisiana kindergartners with exemptions from one or more vaccines has more than doubled in recent years, reaching the highest exemption rate in a decade. In the 2023-24 school year, 2.3% of Louisiana kindergartners had exemptions, compared to 1.1% the previous year.
While the national trend of vaccine hesitancy is growing, Louisiana stands out with its significant increase.
Non-medical exemptions for vaccines, driven by religious or philosophical concerns, are also on the rise across the United States, although not at the same dramatic rate as in Louisiana.
