Cover image for article: Alaska child vaccination rate at 55%, well below national average

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Alaska child vaccination rate at 55%, well below national average

by Walter AlaskaNews(1mo ago)
1 min readAlaskaAI

Just 55% of Alaska's toddlers have completed the recommended childhood vaccine series, according to new state data — below the 70–73% range seen nationally.

The figures span ages. Among kindergartners, 77% are up to date on the MMR vaccine, compared with a roughly 93% national average. Full series completion for kindergartners was 54% in 2024, part of a multi-year decline. State data also shows lower coverage among Alaska Native children.

Officials watch the MMR rate closely because measles spreads easily and requires high community coverage to contain. At 77%, Alaska sits well under that mark — a gap that draws more attention as measles has resurfaced elsewhere in the country.

The report documents the decline but doesn't identify a cause — only that the drop has been broad and sustained rather than a single-year dip.

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