NJ lagging with vaccination across the board, report says

Vaccinations are most effective when a good chunk of the population opts for them.

According to the World Health Organization, immunization prevents millions of deaths per year from diseases like tetanus, pertussis (whooping cough), influenza, and measles. Today, there are vaccines that can prevent more 20 life-threatening diseases.

But not enough New Jersey residents are taking advantage of these life-saving opportunities, suggests an analysis released on Wednesday by WalletHub.

To determine where residents are being the "most responsible about getting vaccines," WalletHub examined the 50 states and Washington, D.C. across 16 key metrics, such as vaccination rates among adults and kids, and insurance rates.

SEE ALSO: See where NJ ranks on a list of the happiest states

According to the analysis, New Jersey is the ninth-least vaccinated state in the country.

The Garden State ranks 33rd nationally for child/teenager vaccination, 48th for adult/elderly vaccination, and 39th for influencing factors such as the share of people without health insurance, according to WalletHub's report.

New Jersey 101.5FM has reached out to the state Department of Health for comment.

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom