Lower-income children are more likely to go unvaccinated, report finds

Children who belong to families with lower incomes are more likely to miss early childhood vaccines compared with children who belong to families with higher incomes, according to a Commonwealth Fund report. The rates among the lowest-income group ranged from 48.7% in Montana to 89.1% in Massachusetts. In comparison, rates ranged from 67.4% in Alaska to 90.5% in Massachusetts for the highest-income groups. Childhood vaccinations have stopped approximately 500 million illnesses and more than a million deaths since 1995. The findings are based on the Commonwealth Fund 2025 Scorecard on State Health System Performance and examine vaccination coverage rates for seven key early childhood vaccines. (Commonwealth Fund blog article, 11/12/25)