As some states consider ending vaccine requirements for school enrollment, WalletHub has released a report ranking all 50 states based on vaccination rates.
The report found that New England states tend to have a higher proportion of vaccinated residents, while states in the Deep South generally have fewer.
According to the ranking, Massachusetts holds the top spot for overall vaccination rates, followed by New Hampshire, Washington and Connecticut. Mississippi ranks last, followed by Nevada, Alabama and Georgia.
Florida, which recently ended a school vaccine requirement, ranks near the bottom at No. 45.
Massachusetts ranked first for childhood vaccinations, while Maine topped the list for adult and senior vaccinations.
WalletHub considered factors such as whether young children had updated MMR vaccines, whether the broader population had flu vaccines, and the overall access residents have to doctors and health care.
Experts offered mixed reactions to the findings.
"Overconfidence in vaccines is a problem: Vaccines are not perfectly effective, so diagnoses may be missed by assuming that they are. Vaccinated people may also get atypical manifestations, or infection by a new variant. Authorities, the media, and doctors should not be salespersons for lucrative products but sources of objective information," said Dr. Jane M. Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons.
But Martine Hackett, associate professor of population health at Hofstra, said vaccine exemptions should be rare, and that more people should get recommended shots.
"Local authorities can promote the availability of vaccines in their communities and the reasons why they are so effective. By focusing on disease prevention, local authorities are making an investment for the future by keeping residents from getting sick and spreading disease," she said.
