Michigan students are heading back to class with backpacks, pencils and, increasingly, vaccine waivers.

According to a report from MLive, new state data from MDHHS (Michigan Department of Health and Human Services) shows about 7.1% of Michigan kindergarteners, seventh graders and students entering new school districts received a waiver for at least one required vaccine during the 2025-26 school year – the highest rate in 12 years. That represents roughly 24,600 students.

The trend has been moving steadily upward. Parents can obtain exemptions for medical, religious or philosophical reasons.

Michigan isn’t alone in its falling vaccination rates. Nationwide, 4.2% of U.S. kindergartners had an exemption from at least one required vaccine during the 2025-26 school year. That represents about 155,000 kindergartners, with exemption rates rising in 41 states and Washington, D.C. Twenty-four states now have exemption rates above 5%.

So while schools continue worrying about reading scores, attendance and classroom behavior, they can add one more item to the back-to-school checklist: fewer vaccinated kids sitting at desks. Whether that’s a welcome development or a troubling trend likely depends on which parent you ask.