The States with the Lowest Child MMR Vaccination Rates

The measles outbreak that started in December in Disneyland has focused attention on the need for vaccination and the danger that exists when large numbers of people forgo their vaccinations.

Nationwide, the large majority of Americans are vaccinated against measles and other preventable illnesses. According to a 2014 report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 91.9% of children ages 19-35 months had received the Measles Mumps Rubella (MMR) vaccine.

The CDC estimates that among people born from 1994-2013, vaccinations will prevent 322 million illnesses, 21 million hospitalizations, and 732,000 deaths throughout their lifetimes.

However, as has been widely discussed, vaccine rates can vary significantly across the country, from state to state and county to county.

What follows are the 9 states with the lowest vaccination rates for children ages 19-35 months, based on the CDC’s August 2014 report. The data come from 2013. We’ve ranked the states based on MMR vaccination rates, but the data below include vaccination rates for MMR, DTaP, Hepatitis A and B, Rotavirus, and the combined vaccine series, which includes vaccines for DTaP, poliovirus, measles, Hib (Haemophilus influenza type B), Hepatitis B, varicella, and the pneumococcal conjugate vaccine.

MMR Vaccination Rate (>1 dose): 89.1%

DTaP Vaccination Rate (>4 doses): 79.8%

Hep B Vaccination Rate (birth): 67.5%

Hep A Vaccination Rate (>2 doses): 49.3%

Rotavirus Vaccination Rate: 68.7%

Combined Series Vaccination Rate: 65.7%

MMR Vaccination Rate (>1 dose): 89.0%

DTaP Vaccination Rate (>4 doses): 80.9%

Hep B Vaccination Rate (birth): 67.0%

Hep A Vaccination Rate (>2 doses): 33.6%

Rotavirus Vaccination Rate: 65.7%

Combined Series Vaccination Rate: 70.0%

MMR Vaccination Rate (>1 dose): 88.6%

DTaP Vaccination Rate (>4 doses): 78.8%

Hep B Vaccination Rate (birth): 72.3%

Hep A Vaccination Rate (>2 doses): 48.0%

Rotavirus Vaccination Rate: 76.2%

Combined Series Vaccination Rate: 69.2%

MMR Vaccination Rate (>1 dose): 88.3%

DTaP Vaccination Rate (>4 doses): 74.3%

Hep B Vaccination Rate (birth): 79.7%

Hep A Vaccination Rate (>2 doses): 35.8%

Rotavirus Vaccination Rate: 56.0%

Combined Series Vaccination Rate: 57.1%

MMR Vaccination Rate (>1 dose): 88.1%

DTaP Vaccination Rate (>4 doses): 78.5%

Hep B Vaccination Rate (birth): 81.6%

Hep A Vaccination Rate (>2 doses): 50.4%

Rotavirus Vaccination Rate: 69.6%

Combined Series Vaccination Rate: 69.1%

MMR Vaccination Rate (>1 dose): 87.3%

DTaP Vaccination Rate (>4 doses): 79.0%

Hep B Vaccination Rate (birth): 73.9%

Hep A Vaccination Rate (>2 doses): 46.4%

Rotavirus Vaccination Rate: 65.5%

Combined Series Vaccination Rate: 65.4%

MMR Vaccination Rate (>1 dose): 86.0%

DTaP Vaccination Rate (>4 doses): 83.4%

Hep B Vaccination Rate (birth): 73.9%

Hep A Vaccination Rate (>2 doses): 57.5%

Rotavirus Vaccination Rate: 68.4%

Combined Series Vaccination Rate: 65.5%

MMR Vaccination Rate (>1 dose): 86.0%

DTaP Vaccination Rate (>4 doses): 81.2%

Hep B Vaccination Rate (birth): 60.2%

Hep A Vaccination Rate (>2 doses): 47.6%

Rotavirus Vaccination Rate: 73.8%

Combined Series Vaccination Rate: 69.2%

MMR Vaccination Rate (>1 dose): 86.0%

DTaP Vaccination Rate (>4 doses): 75.8%

Hep B Vaccination Rate (birth): 78.1%

Hep A Vaccination Rate (>2 doses): 49.2%

Rotavirus Vaccination Rate: 66.5%

Combined Series Vaccination Rate: 61.7%