The number of K-12 students in Texas receiving nonmedical, or conscientious, exemptions for required vaccinations has increased statewide for at least the 10th straight year, according to data from the Texas Education Agency.
Each year, the TEA distributes the Annual Survey of Immunization Status to approximately 1,200 ISDs and 900 accredited private schools statewide. According to the most recent survey, which was made available April 30, 1.35% of all K-12 students in Texas during the 2019-20 school year received conscientious exemptions, which include those based on religious beliefs, an increase from the 1.20% average in 2018-19.
Conscientious vaccine exemptions in the state’s private schools outpace those same exemptions in public schools, according to TEA. During the 2019-20 school year, 3.10% of private school K-12 students received conscientious exemptions as compared to 1.28% of K-12 students in ISDs.
The survey gauges three groups: students enrolled in kindergarten, seventh grade and K-12. The percentages of students receiving conscientious exemptions at the kindergarten and seventh-grade levels are greater than the broader, K-12 percentage, according to the data.
