Which states vaccinate the most?

WalletHub examined the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 16 key metrics to see which states vaccinate the most. The data set ranges from the rates of children, teens and adults vaccinated against various diseases to the share of people without health insurance. 

“Seeing as being anti vaccination has become trendy in some circles and misinformation is all over the internet, it’s more crucial now than ever to spread awareness of the benefits of vaccines and make sure as many people as possible receive potentially life-saving immunizations. The states that vaccinate the most provide the safest environments when it comes to public health, as the likelihood that the next outbreak will begin or spread there is minimized,” said Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst.

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Main findings:

Rhode Island

Rhode Island is the state that vaccinates the most. It ranks first in the nation when it comes to HPV vaccination among teens ages 13 to 17 and second for the flu vaccination rate among children. 

Rhode Island also has the second-highest share of babies under three years old who have the combined seven-vaccine series, which prevents multiple common illnesses, such as polio, tetanus and hepatitis B. In addition, Rhode Island requires students to be vaccinated against major diseases before attending kindergarten.

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When it comes to adults, the Ocean State has the second-highest flu vaccine coverage. It also has the second-highest share of adults at high risk for pneumococcal disease who have the pneumococcal vaccination. 

Massachusetts 

Massachusetts is the state with the second-best vaccination coverage. It’s also one of only 18 states that allow minors to receive vaccinations without parental consent, allowing young people with anti-vaccine parents to choose to become protected anyway. Massachusetts requires children to be vaccinated against common diseases before attending kindergarten, too.

Massachusetts has high levels of vaccination for all major diseases, including seasonal coverage. It has the highest share of adults with flu vaccinations, at over 62%, and the third-highest rate for children, at over 75%. 

To top things off, the Bay State has the third-highest share of residents participating in an “information immunization system,” which is a confidential online database recording vaccination data about a particular geographic area. This helps inform people about how safe a certain area is from disease outbreaks.

Maine

Maine ranks third among the states that vaccinate the most, with especially high rates of vaccination among teenagers. Over 96% of teens have received the MenACWY vaccine, which protects against four strains of a virus that causes meningitis and blood poisoning, the third-highest percentage in the country. In addition, over 94% of teens have received the Tdap (tetanus, diphtheria and pertussis) vaccination, the fifth-highest rate in the country. Teen vaccination coverage is boosted by the fact that Maine allows minors to get vaccinated without parental consent, countering anti-vaccination trends.

Vaccination also remains high among adults in Maine. The state has the fourth-highest share of adults vaccinated against tetanus, the seventh-best flu vaccine coverage, and the seventh -highest share of at-risk adults with a pneumococcal vaccination.

Finally, Maine has good access to health care. It has the fourth-lowest share of the population living in a primary care health professional shortage area, which means that there are plenty of doctors available to see patients and administer vaccines.

To view the report, click here.

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