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The growing outbreak of measles across the country is focusing new attention on the falling vaccination rates that appear to be exacerbating the problem. Anticipating the issue, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention conducted a nationwide survey of vaccination rates among kindergartners in states that require either one or two doses of the varicella vaccine used to inoculate against the malady. Of the 42 in which figures were available (including the District of Columbia), some are doing well, while others -- among them, Colorado -- have a very distressing record. Count down the photo-illustrated list below, and to see the complete CDC report, click here.
See also: Blech! Five Worst Foodborne Illness Outbreaks in Recent U.S. History, published August 2010
Note: * = states that only require one, rather than two, doses of the varicella vaccine used to fight measles.
Number 1: Mississippi
99.7 percent
Number 2: North Carolina*
99.7 percent
Number 3: Hawaii*
99.2 percent
Number 4: Maryland*
99 percent
Number 5: New York*
98.2 percent
Number 6: Texas
97.2 percent
Number 7: New Jersey*
96.8 percent
Number 8: Connecticut
96.7 percent
Number 9: Illinois*
96.6 percent
Number 10: Delaware
96.4 percent
Number 11: Arizona*
96.4 percent
Number 12: Louisiana
96.1 percent
Number 13: Ohio
95.7 percent
Continue to keep counting down the measles vaccination rates across the U.S., including in Colorado. Number 14: South Dakota
95.3 percent
Number 15: California*
95.3 percent
Number 16 (tie): Nebraska
94.9 percent
Number 16 (tie): Tennessee
94.9 percent
Number 18 (tie): New Hampshire
94.7 percent
Number 18 (tie): Rhode Island
94.7 percent
Number 20: Missouri
94.6 percent
Number 21: South Carolina*
94.4 percent
Number 22: Oregon*
94.3 percent
Number 23: Georgia
94 percent
Number 24: Massachusetts
93.9 percent
Number 25: Maine*
93.8 percent
Number 26: Nevada
93.6 percent
Number 27: New Mexico
93.4 percent
Continue to keep counting down the measles vaccination rates across the U.S., including in Colorado. Number 28: Florida
93.2 percent
Number 29: Michiga
93 percent
Number 30: Minnesota
92.6 percent
Number 31: Alaska
92.5 percent
Number 32: Alabama*
92 percent
Number 33: Kentucky
91.9 percent
Number 34: Iowa
91 percent
Number 35: Indiana
90.2 percent
Number 36: North Dakota
89.4 percent
Number 37: Washington, D.C.
88.8 percent
Number 38: Idaho
86.5 percent
Number 39: Kansas
85.5 percent
Number 40: Arkansas
85.4 percent
Number 41: Pennsylvania
84 percent
Number 42: Colorado
81.7 percent
Send your story tips to the author, Michael Roberts.
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