Michigan's kindergarten vaccination waiver rate has climbed to 7.7 percent for 2025, the highest in a decade. Families can now check their local school's immunization data using a new online tool from Bridge Michigan.
More Michigan kindergarteners are starting school without the usual vaccinations than at any point in the last ten years. For the 2025 school year, 7.7 percent of kindergarteners have a waiver on file, according to Bridge Michigan. This is the fifth year in a row the rate has gone up, and it has public health officials and school leaders worried about the risk of outbreaks in elementary schools. Nationally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports that MMR (measles, mumps, rubella) vaccination coverage among first graders has also dropped, reaching 92.4% for 2025-2026, while the share of children with at least one exemption is now at a record 4.2%. CDC measles data.
Across all Michigan students, the waiver rate is now 7.1 percent, up from 6.2 percent last year. The increase is sharpest among kindergarteners, whose waiver rate rose from 6.8 percent in 2024. Michigan is one of the few states that allows families to opt out of required vaccines for medical, religious, or philosophical reasons. The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services tracks these numbers and gives guidance to districts, including Farmington Public Schools and others in Oakland County.
Local School Data Now Searchable
Families can now look up vaccination rates for their child's school using a new online tool from Bridge Michigan. The tool shows the percentage of kindergarteners at each school who are fully vaccinated and the share with waivers. This gives parents a clearer picture of their school's immunization rates. Farmington area families can find more details about requirements and waivers on the Farmington Public Schools health services page.
The 2025 data shows big differences between schools and districts. Some elementary schools have waiver rates well below the state average, while others are above 10 percent. Saginaw County, for example, reported one of the lowest rates at 3.9%, while Houghton County's rate reached 23%. These gaps highlight how much waiver rates can vary across Michigan.
Why Waiver Rates Matter
High waiver rates make schools more vulnerable to outbreaks of diseases like measles, mumps, and whooping cough. When vaccination coverage drops, herd immunity weakens, putting all students at greater risk-including those who can't be vaccinated for medical reasons. School administrators in places like Farmington and Farmington Hills may also have a harder time managing outbreaks and keeping families informed when immunization rates are low.
Michigan's policy on non-medical exemptions is often debated, with some calling for stricter rules to raise vaccination rates. The Department of Health and Human Services continues to monitor the numbers and advise schools, but the steady rise in waivers shows that current efforts haven't reversed the trend. In 2025, nearly 25,000 students in Michigan's public and private schools had vaccine exemptions, out of more than 345,000 students with complete immunization records.
How the Waiver Process Works
Michigan law requires kindergarteners to get a series of vaccines unless a parent or guardian files a formal waiver. Waivers can be for medical, religious, or philosophical reasons and must be submitted to the local health department. Parents seeking non-medical exemptions have to attend an educational session, but many still choose to opt out. The state requires six vaccines for school entry, including those for measles, rubella, polio, mumps, and chickenpox, as listed in Michigan's official immunization schedule.
Bridge Michigan notes that the state's approach to exemptions is more lenient than most, which helps explain the higher waiver rates compared to national averages. The new data tool is meant to give families and communities a better sense of local vaccination patterns and the risks that come with low coverage. Despite recent federal changes, Michigan officials say the state still follows the American Academy of Pediatrics schedule, and local requirements have not changed.
Michigan's rising kindergarten waiver rates are a growing public health concern for schools and families. As more parents choose to skip routine vaccinations, the risk of preventable disease outbreaks goes up, especially for children who can't be vaccinated. The state's decision to keep broad exemption policies, even as waiver rates climb, means schools and communities-including those in the Farmington area-will keep facing the challenges that come with lower vaccine coverage.
