1 in 4 Americans Got Swine Flu Vaccine

April 1, 2010 -- Nearly one in four U.S. residents got the H1N1 swine flu vaccination, the
CDC reports.
"If we had more vaccine earlier, more people could have received it," Anne
Schuchat, MD, CDC director of immunization and respiratory diseases, said at a
news conference. "We know we did prevent a lot of disease and death with our
program, but if we'd had it sooner it would have been better."
Vaccination rates were highest in Rhode Island (38.8%) and lowest in
Mississippi (12.9%). The median state vaccination rate was 23.9%. The numbers
are based on self-reports in nationwide surveys of more than 214,000 U.S.
residents.
H1N1 swine flu vaccination rates were much higher in children, who were
among the high-risk groups sent to the front of the line when the vaccine was
in short supply last fall.
Overall, 36.8% of U.S. kids got the vaccine by the end of January. Child
vaccination rates ranged from 21.3% in Georgia to an amazing 84.7% in Rhode
Island.
"It is premature to know exactly why some states did much better than
others," Schuchat said. "Several factors likely contributed. Certainly when
diseases are very visible, it is natural to have great demand for vaccines.
Since New England saw their big upswing in November, they were able to take
advantage of the increased supply that was then available."
However, Schuchat noted that states with school-based vaccination programs
tended to vaccinate more of their children.
 
 
 




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