Legislative Session Starts; MMA to Focus on 5 Major Issues
February 19, 2026
State lawmakers returned to St. Paul on February 17 for the second half of the 2025-2026 biennium.
MMR Vaccination Rates Continue Decreasing Amid National Measles Outbreak
May 8, 2025
Minnesota's MMR vaccination rate for kindergartners continues to trend downward according to Minnesota Department Health (MDH) data, the Minnesota Star Tribune reported in its May 7 edition.
Statistics show that about 87% of Minnesota kindergartners have the required two doses of the MMR vaccine. Experts say that 95% coverage is required to reach "herd immunity."
Minnesota now ranks as the fourth worst in the nation in terms of percentage of MMR vaccination rates, only ahead of Idaho, Alaska, and Wisconsin.
"The current loophole in Minnesota law that allows parents to express a conscientious objection to vaccines harms kids and harms our communities," said MMA President Edwin Bogonko, MD, MBA. "We strongly believe that all vaccine exemptions should be for medical contraindications only."
For more information, visit the MDH's school immunizations page.
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On the second day of the legislative session, MMA leadership was already advocating for one of its top priorities - minimizing the harm of federal changes to Medical Assistance (MA).
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