Chart Review: Flu Vaccination Rates

Chart Review: Flu Vaccination Rates

Julia Demeester, Health Care Policy Intern

The successful development of a COVID-19 vaccine is only half of the battle; for a vaccine to be successful, enough people must receive it. The flu vaccine provides a rough indicator of both how many people accept vaccines each year and how well states do in promoting immunization. Despite the general accessibility of the annual vaccine—most can receive it for free—the rate of vaccination last year was just 52 percent of individuals 6 months and older. As the map below shows, rates were the highest in the Northeast and the lowest in the West. State variation of the annual flu vaccine could indicate where a COVID-19 vaccine will be implemented widely and where it will struggle to reach sufficient levels of immunization within the population. The varying rates of flu vaccine uptake across the country can therefore inform where targeted efforts may be necessary for encouraging a COVID-19 vaccine. A report released by the Kaiser Family Foundation states that to achieve sufficient levels of immunity against the coronavirus, most Americans will need to be vaccinated, and so variation in COVID-19 vaccination rates could drastically impact efforts to control the pandemic. The federal government has stated that it will ensure the COVID-19 vaccine is provided free of charge to all, even uninsured individuals. Universal access to the vaccine is likely to boost the vaccination rate.

Data source: Kaiser Family Foundation