Flu shot: Florida has second-worst US adult flu vaccination rate in 2023 WalletHub ranking
Flu season is here, and Florida again has one of the country’s worst adult flu vaccination coverage rates.
WalletHub’s 2023 States that Vaccinate the Most report placed Florida 50th in that category, ahead of only Mississippi. The Sunshine State recently has hovered at the bottom of the list: 49th in 2020, 50th in 2021 and 51st in 2022.
Florida also ranked among the worst five states in these categories:
47th (tied with Illinois): Share of adults 60+ with zoster (shingles) vaccination
48th: Share of adults with tetanus vaccination
48th: Share of teenagers 13-17 with meningococcal ACWY vaccination
48th: Share of civilian noninstitutionalized population without health insurance coverage
49th: Share of teenagers 13-17 with up-to-date HPV vaccination
50th: Adult and elderly vaccination rates.
Florida’s population swelled by nearly 3 million people between 2012 and 2022, American Community Survey estimates show. That growth may be a contributing factor to poor vaccine uptake, said Dr. Kruti Yagnik, an infectious disease specialist at Cleveland Clinic Indian River Hospital in Vero Beach.
“As the population has gone up, we haven’t had a significant rise in the amount of health care providers we have, or physicians or clinics,” she said. “It’s hard to accommodate for all the people moving.”
Patients often must wait months to be seen by a new provider, and existing patients may be unable to visit their doctors as frequently. Fewer vaccine conversations are being had between doctors and patients, Yagnik stressed.
“I also think that there is some inconsistent messaging across the state — not just from individual doctors, but also specialists, public health agencies,” Yagnik said. “People don’t really know what vaccines they’re supposed to get, when they’re supposed to get them, how many of them they’re supposed to get, at what age.”
WalletHub assessed all 50 states and the District of Columbia across 16 health indicators. Despite performing poorly in several categories, Florida ranked 38th overall, up from 49th last year. Massachusetts again topped the overall rankings, followed by Rhode Island and Iowa.
Does Medicare Part B cover vaccines?
Florida’s vaccination problems aren’t new, and cost is another likely culprit, according to Cindy Prins, an infectious disease epidemiologist at the University of Central Florida College of Medicine.
“We’ve created this complicated access problem, where people don’t know where they can go get [the flu shot] and they may not know where they can go get it for free,” she said. “I would love to see that barrier just completely removed for people.”
People 65 and older account for nearly a quarter of Florida’s population. Many of them may be on a limited income and unaware Medicare Part B covers preventive vaccinations including flu, pneumococcal, COVID-19 and hepatitis B, Prins said.
Adults 19 and older covered by Medicaid also are candidates for free vaccinations, from shingles to mpox. Children 18 and younger are eligible for immunizations recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, through the free, federal Vaccines for Children program.
Free vaccines in Vero Beach, Port St. Lucie, Stuart
Florida Department of Health offices in Martin, St. Lucie and Indian River counties provide free vaccines for adults and children who are uninsured or underinsured, from HPV to meningococcal. Call to schedule an appointment; vaccine availability may vary by location:
Indian River: 1900 27th St., Vero Beach; 772-794-7425 (adults), 772-794-7415 (children); indianriver.flhealth.gov
St. Lucie: 5150 N.W. Milner Drive, Port St. Lucie; 772-462-3800; stlucie.floridahealth.gov
Martin: 3441 S.E. Willoughby Blvd., Stuart; 772-221-4000, option 3; martin.floridahealth.gov.
Discounted vaccines are available at federally qualified health centers (FQHCs), which cater to medically underserved populations including immigrants, migrant workers and homeless people. The Treasure Coast is home to these FQHCs:
Florida Community Health Centers, Inc.
To make an appointment, call or schedule online at fchcinc.org.
1505 Delaware Ave., Fort Pierce; 772-461-1402
3090 Avenue G, Suite A, Fort Pierce; 772-448-8496
714 Avenue C, Fort Pierce; 772-429-3400 (women and children)
1701 S.E. Hillmoor Drive, Suite 19, Port St. Lucie; 772-335-8455 (children)
3235 S.W. Port St. Lucie Blvd., Suite 105, Port St. Lucie; 772-408-5063
9576 S. U.S. 1, Port St. Lucie; 772-337-4000 (women and children)
3441 S.E. Willoughby Blvd., Stuart; 772-403-5650
15858 S.W. Warfield Blvd., Indiantown; 772-597-3596
Treasure Coast Community Health
Call 772-257-8224 to make an appointment or visit tcchinc.org for details.
Whole Family Health Center
Call 877-345-WFHC (9342) to make an appointment or visit wfhcfl.org for details.
When should I get my flu shot?
Everyone 6 months and older should get an annual flu shot, the CDC advises. High-dose flu vaccines are recommended for people 65 and older, who are at greater risk of severe infection. Influenza viruses circulate year round, but flu season typically runs from October to May in the U.S.
“If you haven’t gotten vaccinated yet, go ahead and do it. It’s still going to give you protection,” Prins said. “It’s not like you’ve missed your opportunity for the season.”
Am I eligible for the shingles vaccine?
The two-dose shingles vaccine, branded Shingrix, is recommended for adults 50 and older. Patients should get the second dose two to six months after the first.
Immunocompromised individuals as young as 19 also may get Shingrix, waiting one to two months between doses.
Should my child get the HPV vaccine?
The CDC recommends the two-dose HPV vaccine for 11- and 12-year-olds, long before they’re likely to be exposed to the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus. Doses should be administered six to 12 months apart, and may be given to children as young as 9.
Teens and young adults ages 15 to 26 need three doses in a six-month window. Adults 27-45 may be eligible for the vaccine but should consult their doctor.
“There is a stigma behind the HPV vaccine,” Yagnik said. “You have to actually take the time and explain to [parents], it doesn’t mean that [their children] are going out and having sex. But this is cervical cancer — very serious in women — and it’s something that we have to catch very early.”
Do I need a tetanus shot?
The tetanus shot is a combination vaccine, meaning it also protects patients from pertussis (whooping cough) and/or diphtheria. DT and Td vaccines offer protection against tetanus and diphtheria, while DTaP and Tdap vaccines guard against all three.
Babies should get DTaP doses at 2, 4 and 6 months, and boosters at 15-18 months and 4-6 years. A Tdap booster is recommended at age 11 or 12.
The CDC recommends adults get a Td or Tdap booster shot every 10 years. Pregnant people are advised to get a Tdap shot early in their third trimester.
Does my child need a meningococcal vaccine?
Three vaccines help prevent meningitis: MenACWY, MenB and MenABCWY.
The CDC advises adolescents to get the MenACWY vaccine at 11 or 12, and a booster at 16. MenB is recommended for teens and young adults 16-23. MenABCWY is an option for patients planning to get both the MenACWY and MenB vaccines during the same visit.
Adults should ask their doctors whether a meningitis vaccine is appropriate.
Lindsey Leake is TCPalm’s projects reporter. She has an M.A. in Science Writing from Johns Hopkins University, an M.A. in Journalism and Digital Storytelling from American University and a B.A. from Princeton University. Follow her on X @NewsyLindsey, Facebook @LindseyMLeake and Instagram @newsylindsey. Call her at 772-408-5315 or email her at lindsey.leake@tcpalm.com.
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This article originally appeared on Treasure Coast Newspapers: WalletHub Florida vaccination rankings: Flu, shingles, HPV, tetanus
