For years, Nevada has ranked among the lowest in the country for vaccination rates, and it’s getting worse. That’s not good news as 30 states have now reported cases of measles this year.
In a March report, Trust for America’s Health, a nonpartisan nonprofit which researches public health policy, said Nevada tied with Wyoming for the second-worst flu immunization rate in the country.
Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, the nonprofit’s president and CEO, told State of Nevada those numbers reflect more than just our flu outbreak preparedness.
“It can serve as an indicator and share insights about how well a state and the nation would be ready to respond to an outbreak in terms of the infrastructure that's in place,” said Gracia, who also served in the Department of Health and Human Services in the Obama Administration. “Are there strong capabilities in terms of not only public health, but the healthcare system to deliver those vaccines? As well as community engagement and trust in vaccines?”
Declining flu vaccination rates extend to childhood MMR immunizations, which help protect people from measles, mumps, and rubella. For Clark County children 5 to 12, vaccinations fell from 94.5% in 2016 to 92.4% this year. The threshold to create “herd immunity” in a population is 95%.
Brian Labus, an epidemiologist and assistant professor at UNLV’s School of Public Health, is part of the Vaccine Confidence Team, which studies why Nevada’s rate is so low. He said the decline could be caused by many factors.
“Sometimes it's education, sometimes it's income. So, people don't have access to health care, they don't think they have access to programs. Even though they're out there, they may not know about them. Sometimes it's access to transportation: They're willing to get vaccinated, they just don't have an easy way to get to the clinics.”
While Nevada hasn’t had a measles case this year, the Southern Nevada Health Department is preparing, says Dr. Rosanne Sugay, a medical epidemiologist for the department.
“Measles is very contagious, more so than COVID. And we would make sure to take care of first the adult or the child who was diagnosed with measles, and then ensure that everybody is safe," she says. "And so there are discussions with schools and facilities about their vaccination coverage rates and how to get everybody else the vaccinations that they need.”
To find a vaccine clinic near year, visit immunizenevada.org.
Guests: Brian Labus, epidemiologist and assistant professor, UNLV’s School of Public Health; Dr. Rosanne Sugay, medical epidemiologist, Southern Nevada Health District; Dr. J. Nadine Gracia, president and CEO, Trust for America’s Health
