With multiple companies racing to develop an effective COVID-19 vaccine but 1 in 3 Americans saying they wouldn’t get vaccinated, the personal-finance website WalletHub released its report on 2020’s States that Vaccinate the Most.

In order to find out which states vaccinate most, WalletHub analyzed the 50 states and the District of Columbia across 18 key metrics, ranging from share of vaccinated children to share of people without health insurance to flu vaccination rate among adults.

Vaccination in California (1=Best; 25=Avg.):

  • 22nd – Influenza Vaccination Rate in Children Aged 6 Months to 17 Years Old
  • 23rd – Share of Teenagers Aged 13-17 with Up-To-Date HPV Vaccination
  • 23rd – Share of Teenagers Aged 13-17 with MenACWY Vaccination
  • 39th – Flu Vaccination Coverage Rate Among Adults
  • 24th – Share of Adults with Tetanus Vaccination
  • 15th – Share of Adults Aged 60 and Older with Zoster Vaccination
  • 51st – Share of Children 19-35 Months old Living in Poverty with Combined 7-Vaccine Series
  • 26th – Share of Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population without Health Insurance Coverage
  • 41st – Share of Children Under 6 Years Old Participating in an Immunization Information System

According to Adam McCann, financial writer for WalletHub, vaccinations are some of the most valuable contributions to modern medicine. They have drastically reduced the prevalence of certain diseases, including polio, tetanus, measles and chicken pox. One disease, smallpox, has even been eradicated completely, with no natural cases since 1977. Now, as the COVID-19 pandemic ravages the U.S., the race to develop a vaccine quickly – but with a high efficacy – is well underway. It’s likely that we could have a COVID-19 vaccine available to the public by next year.

Unfortunately, even if we develop an effective vaccine to combat the pandemic, it will have a reduced impact if people don’t choose to get it. According to Gallup, 35 percent of Americans would not get a COVID-19 vaccine, even if it were free.

For the full report, click here.

Image Sources

  • Vaccination: Pixaby