Exemptions to Vaccine Mandates Climbing in United States: Study

Exemptions for nonmedical reasons rose between 2010 and 2024, researchers found.

A child receives a vaccine in Coral Gables, Fla., on Sept. 15, 2025. Joe Raedle/Getty Images

Vaccine mandate exemptions are becoming more common, researchers reported in a study published on Jan. 14.

Across most states and the District of Columbia, the median exemption rate for religious and philosophical reasons increased on an annual basis from 2010 to 2024, particularly after the COVID-19 pandemic started, Dr. Nathan Lo of Stanford University’s Department of Medicine and co-authors said in the new paper.