Indiana and Kentucky rank low in new U.S. vaccination study

A new study by WalletHub has ranked Indiana and Kentucky near the bottom of the United States for vaccination rates. The study evaluated 50 states and the District of Columbia across 16 metrics, including vaccination rates for children, teens, and adults, as well as health insurance coverage. Indiana ranked 37th nationally, while Kentucky ranked 44th.

This decline in vaccination metrics coincides with a rise in measles cases across the country. According to the CDC, 2,777 confirmed measles cases had been reported in the U.S. as of August 20, 2026, exceeding the total number of cases recorded in 2025. Both Indiana and Kentucky have reported measles cases this year.

Data from the CDC also indicates that nationwide MMR vaccination coverage among kindergartners has decreased from 95.2% during the 2019-2020 school year to 92.4% for the 2025-2026 period, leaving an estimated 280,000 children at risk.