Vaccination rates for U.S. kindergarteners are down again, and federal officials are launching a new campaign to try to bring them up. Usually, 94% to 95% of kindergarteners nationally are vaccinated against measles, tetanus, and certain other diseases. The vaccination rates dropped below 94% in the 2020-2021 school year. A new study finds they dropped again in the 2021-2022 school year, to about 93%. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released the new data Thursday. This week, the CDC launched a campaign that includes new educational materials to help doctors talk to families about vaccinations.
As COVID-19 surges in China, the U.S. is expanding its traveler surveillance program, an early warning system for detecting new variants. With the addition of Los Angeles and Seattle, there are now seven airports where volunteer passengers can swab themselves on arrival. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention program now covers about 500 flights, including more than half from the China region. The CDC on Thursday also began requiring travelers from China, Hong Kong and Macao to test negative for COVID-19 before flying to the U.S. Meanwhile, scientists want to see more screening of wastewater from arriving airplanes.
