Written by Staff Writer
(CNN) — As the 2018-19 flu season nears, new data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) shows that states across the country have reported either pretty good — or pretty bad — levels of vaccine coverage.
The vaccine remains about 60% effective, according to new CDC data. The figures show that there has been little change in the overall level of vaccination during the past year.
Most states, though, continued to report vaccine coverage rates of at least 90% or higher. That’s about the same as last year, despite a small decline in vaccination rates across the Midwest and the East. But vaccine coverage in the South and West has declined slightly.
One positive note is that flu vaccine rates are higher among people who are 65 and older, the CDC report notes. A portion of this group still has not received the shot, the CDC suggests, but overall, data suggest that a majority of this age group is receiving the shot.
Overall, vaccination coverage for all age groups was higher than the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s target level of 80%.
