Alabama's Vaccine Rates: Third Lowest In The Nation

Alabama is the third least vaccinated state or district according to online personal finance and research site Wallet Hub. And if a bill pre-filed for the next legislative session in January passes, that rating will not improve.

With Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy, Jr's decades-long record of casting doubt on vaccine safety and effectiveness and Florida proposing to do away with vaccine mandates, one Alabama lawmaker wants Alabama to join the vaccine debate.

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Etowah County Republican State Rep. Mack Butler (28th District) has pre-filed a bill that would make it easier for parents to get a vaccine religious exemption for K-12 and higher education students. Butler claims his legislation gives parents more rights by submitting a vaccination waiver request without giving a reason.

House Bill 24, "...would specify that a parent or guardian's written declaration is sufficient documentation to exempt his or her child from a vaccine requirement for religious reasons." (NOTE: There are no current vaccine requirements for higher education in Alabama. However, there was a COVID19 vaccine mandate during the pandemic).

Alabama already is near the bottom in vaccinations for various diseases and viruses. In the Wallet Hub survey of all 50 states and the District of Columbia, the state ranked 49th overall, with only Nevada (50th) and Mississippi (51st) lower. Massachusetts ranks as the most vaccinated state. The highest ranked southern state is Virginia at 15th.

Wallet Hub used 16 key metrics to measure each state and DC, ranging from the share of vaccinated children to the share of people without health insurance to the flu vaccination rate among adults. Below are the findings for the Yellowhammer State:

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

Overall rank: 49^th
47^th – Influenza Vaccination Rate in Children Aged 6 Months to 17 Years Old
35^th – Share of Teenagers Aged 13-17 with Up-To-Date HPV Vaccination
35^th – Share of Teenagers Aged 13-17 with Men ACWY Vaccination
45^th – Flu Vaccination Coverage Rate Among Adults
43^rd – Share of Adults with Tetanus Vaccination
49^th – Share of Adults Aged 60 and Older with Zoster Vaccination
25^th – Share of Children 19-35 Months old Living in Poverty with Combined 7-Vaccine Series
38^th – Share of Civilian Noninstitutionalized Population without Health Insurance Coverage
51^st – Share of Children Under 6 Years Old Participating in an Immunization Information System