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Maine Children's Alliance

Immunizations- kindergartners with exemptions in Maine

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Why This Indicator Matters

Kindergarten-entry vaccination requirements have played an important role in controlling vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States.  Until 2019, Maine allowed for exemptions to required vaccinations based on medical, religious or philosophical reasons. If more kindergartners are vaccinated the chance that disease will spread through schools and communities is lessened. Achieving a 95% or higher level of vaccinations provides more protection against the spread of diseases than lower rates.

What the data shows
For 2018, (the 2018-2019 school year) Knox, (10.9%), Lincoln, (10.2%), Hancock (9.8%)and Franklin  (8.7%) Counties had the highest rates of kindergarten exemptions.  For 2018, only Washington (3.4%) and Aroostook (3.6%) Counties had exemption rates below 5%.

Looking at 4 years of data, the overall rate of kindergarten exemptions for vaccinations increased each year from 4.5% in 2015-2016 to 6.2% in 2018-2019.
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Definitions: Kindergartners with exemptions shows the percent of kindergarten students with a written exemption on file for medical, religious or philosophical reasons for any required vaccine. The numerator is the number of kindergartners with an exemption for any vaccine and the denominator is the number of kindergartners.


Data Source: Maine Center for Disease Control School Vaccination Reports

Footnotes: The year refers to the school year where 2015 represents the 2015-2016 school year. Vaccination records are as of October 1.

Updated May 2019