Mississippi is, by far, the least vaccinated state in the US as flu season nears, study says
Flu season is coming up fast and with it comes the decision to get a flu vaccine.
COVID is still a threat as cases recently surged again in Mississippi, and vaccines are available at pharmacies and doctor’s offices across the state.
The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that vaccines prevent around 4 to 5 million deaths per year.
Diseases such as polio, tetanus, measles and chicken pox have all been reduced because of vaccines. In fact, smallpox has even been eradicated completely, with no natural cases since 1977.
However, a recent study by WalletHub found that some states in the country are better than others about getting vaccinated.
And Mississippi is not one of those states.
The Magnolia State, according to WalletHub, is the least vaccinated state in the U.S.
The study’s findings
The study by WalletHub called “2023’s States that Vaccinate the Most” analyzed all 50 states and Washington D.C., specifically looking at three key dimensions:
children & teenagers immunization Rates
adult & elderly vaccination rates
immunization uptake disparities & influencing factors
Within those three dimensions, the study also studied factors such as flu vaccine rates, share of teens with certain vaccines, vaccinations required by schools and people without health insurance.
Each state was then given a score on a 100 point scale in each of the three categories, with 100 being the best vaccinated. Then each score was averaged and ranked.
How Mississippi scored
Mississippi received an overall score of 18 out of 100.
Here’s a breakdown of the three categories:
children & teenagers Immunization Rates: 51
adult & elderly vaccination rates: 51
Immunization uptake disparities & influencing factors: 49
The study also revealed that Mississippi has one of the lowest flu vaccine rates in kids aged six months to 17 years old, as well as the lowest flu vaccine rate in adults.
Additionally, the state has the lowest rate of teens with updated HPV vaccines and the lowest share of men’s ACWY vaccines.
In comparison, here’s how other southern states ranked:
Georgia is ranked the fourth least vaccinated state.
South Carolina wasn’t too far ahead, with a score of 48.
Florida is just below South Carolina with a score of 44.
Louisiana received an overall score of 42.93.
Alabama got a score of 42.85 out of 100.
What the experts say
So, why is it that some states are less vaccinated than others?
Experts say it could be any number of things: insurance, education and even the media’s opinions.
“In the U.S., media plays a tremendous role in shaping the culture and behaviors of our society. One way to frame the media’s role is in the context of cognitive bias theories such as negativity bias, “ said Maribeth Kradel-Weitzel, assistant provost at Thomas Jefferson University.
Here are some tips from other experts when considering vaccinations:
Get educated. According to Thomas Feeley from the University of Buffalo: “One of the challenges is education and communicating what a vaccine does (and does not do) and why it only works if we, as a community, or “herd,” all participate. It is not just for me; it is for my family, friends, and people surrounding me.”
Talk to your doctor. “A strong, unequivocal recommendation from a physician to get vaccinated is one of the strongest predictors of whether an individual gets vaccinated. Physicians who regularly engage with the community outside of the clinic are more likely to have these opportunities to discuss vaccines,” said Abram L. Wagner, assistant professor of epidemiology and global public health at the University of Michigan.
How do you feel about this study’s findings? Comment below or email me at cmadden@mcclatchy.com
This story was originally published September 15, 2023 at 11:57 AM.
