HARTFORD — As 2025 approaches, the Connecticut Department of Public Health (DPH) is urging parents to check that their children’s immunizations are current. The reminder comes as the state’s school immunization rates continue to rebound.
The percentage of Connecticut kindergarten students who received the required measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) vaccine in the 2023–2024 school year reached 97.7%, a 0.4% increase from the previous year. Among schools with more than 30 kindergarten students, there was a 3% rise in the number of schools with MMR vaccination rates at or above the 95% threshold.
Parents and the public can access school immunization completion rates by visiting data.ct.gov and searching for “school immunization survey data.”
“It’s important for parents to check with their child’s healthcare provider to ensure that all vaccinations are up to date,” said DPH Commissioner Manisha Juthani, MD. “If parents have any questions or concerns about vaccinating their children, they should discuss them with their child’s primary care provider. We want to make sure every child attending school in Connecticut is protected from vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles.”
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported earlier this fall that Connecticut saw a slight increase in medical exemptions (up 0.1%) and a decrease in non-medical exemptions (down 0.4%) from the 2022–2023 to the 2023–2024 school year. Immunization coverage rates for Connecticut kindergartners also rose and remain above the national average.
High vaccination rates not only protect individual children but also help prevent the spread of diseases to those who cannot be vaccinated, such as children with medical conditions that compromise their immune systems. This is known as herd immunity, which is especially crucial for children who are medically fragile and cannot be vaccinated, such as those undergoing chemotherapy. These children depend on the immunity of others to help keep them safe.
“School attendance is foundational to learning and academic success, as well as to supporting students’ social, emotional, and physical well-being,” said Education Commissioner Charlene M. Russell-Tucker. “Ensuring students are healthy and ready to learn from the first day of school is critical, and immunizations are one of the many important tools that help create safe and supportive learning environments for all.”
Parents and guardians who need to access their child’s vaccine record can do so securely online through the CT WiZ Public Portal at ct.gov/getmyvaccinerecord. The service is free and confidential, provided by the DPH Immunization Program.
For more information about the Connecticut Vaccine Program, call 860-509-7929 or email dph.immunizations@ct.gov.
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