Thousands more N.J. kids are skipping vaccines. See how your county compares.
Vaccination rates among New Jersey children continue to fall as religious exemptions rise, a trend that public health experts say may contribute to the resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Data from the state Department of Health shows 24,962 kids skipped vaccines for religious reasons during the 2024-25 school year, a nearly 25% increase from the previous year. The number represents just 5% of all pre-K, kindergarten, first grade, sixth grade and transfer students in the state. However, it’s nearly triple what it was a decade ago.
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New Jersey’s religious exemption rate among kindergartners of 4.6% is even higher than the U.S. median of 4%.
New Jersey is one of 29 states that allow exemptions for religious reasons, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. Four states — California, Connecticut, Maine and New York — do not allow any type of non-medical exemption.
Under New Jersey law, a parent or guardian can submit a written, signed request for exemption from mandatory immunization due to religious beliefs. They don’t need any other documentation, such as proof of membership in a religious organization.
The state also allows exemptions for medical reasons, but that makes up a smaller portion of unvaccinated school children — .2% during the 2024-25 school year.
Medical and religious reasons are the only acceptable grounds for skipping mandatory immunization requirements in New Jersey schools and daycares. The law states that requests “based on philosophical, moral, secular, or more general reasons” are not permitted.
The trend toward increasing vaccine exemptions could put New Jersey at increased risk for outbreaks.
A recent study published by the JAMA Network found an increase in non-medical exemptions to childhood vaccination requirements from 2010 to 2024, which may contribute to resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases.
Measles, for example, is highly preventable but has made a resurgence. In 2025 the United States reported a total of 2,255 measles cases, the most since 1991, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. About 93% of cases were among people who were unvaccinated or whose vaccination status was unknown.
New Jersey has already lost its herd immunity to measles, putting unvaccinated people, especially children, more at risk. The CDC says more than 95% of people in a community need to be vaccinated for most people to be protected through herd immunity.
In New Jersey, just 92.8% of kindergarteners received the MMR vaccine for the 2024-25 school year, down from 93% the previous year.
The state reported a total of 11 measles cases in 2025, up from seven cases the previous year.
Here is a county-by-county breakdown of how many school children have been granted exemptions from vaccines:
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