By AP/KWMU
St. Louis, MO. – Missouri ranks third in the nation in number of emergency workers who have been vaccinated for smallpox.
The Centers for Disease Control reported last Wednesday that 1,043 people nationwide have received the vaccine, including 119 in Missouri. Only Tennessee and Nebraska have reported more; about 30 states have yet to administer the vaccine.
Missouri health officials credit early planning and cooperation with hospitals and public health agencies, which they say has helped to avoid resistance from health-care workers that other states are encountering.
List of states and vaccines administered, according to the Centers for Disease Control:
Smallpox Vaccinations: Top Five States | |||
State | Vaccinations | ||
Tennessee | 248 | ||
Nebraska | 137 | ||
Missouri | 119 | ||
New Jersey | 98 | ||
Georgia | 68 |