By Paul Waldmiller
Did you know that Florida ranks 41st in vaccination rates?
Out of 50 states in a new WalletHub study released just last week, Florida is placed near the bottom ten for overall vaccination rates. The study, which analyzes 16 metrics across child/teen immunization, adult/elderly vaccination, and uptake disparities, found that adult and elderly vaccination rates in our state rank 48th, while children and teenagers rank 27th.
The low ranking is attributed to the state’s recent efforts to eliminate all mandatory vaccine requirements for children, a move that has coincided with declining vaccination rates and a rise in preventable diseases like whooping cough and measles. Only Idaho, Tennessee, Kentucky, Nevada, Texas, Wyoming, Alaska, Alabama, Oklahoma, and Mississippi ranked lower than Florida in this 2026 analysis.
Chip Lupo, a WalletHub analyst stated that, “Seeing as being anti-vaccination has become trendy in some circles and misinformation is all over the internet, it’s more crucial now than ever to spread awareness of the benefits of vaccines and make sure as many people receive potentially life-saving immunizations.” Others who suffered through the recent COVID pandemic, have publicly and repeatedly pointed to the number of deaths and injuries due to the use of all COVID vaccines which have been made public including shared on national and local media sites.