Arizona reported one of the highest vaccine exemption rates for kindergarteners in the country last year.
Axios reports that 6.8% of the state’s kindergarteners were granted exemptions for required vaccines for the 2021 to 2022 school year – that’s nearly double the 3.7% in 2021.
Idaho had the most with nearly 10% and Utah and Oregon followed.
The national average was 2.7% during that same period.
Most states allow exemptions for religious reasons, but Arizona is one of only 15 that also allows parents to make a claim based on personal beliefs.
Studies have found an increased risk of infection from vaccine-preventable diseases among exempt children.