Survey: Indiana ranks among least safe states for COVID-19
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — Some states are managing the pandemic well, but, according to a national survey, Indiana is not one of them. In fact, the Hoosier state is close to the bottom of the list.
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A new study by data analytics company WalletHub aggregated data from the U.S. Census Bureau, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. They assessed each state in terms of five key metrics: vaccination rates, positive testing rates, hospitalizations, deaths, and transmission rate.
The results: Indiana ranks as the 43rd least safest states when it comes to COVID-19.
Dr. Paul Calkins, a physician at IU Health, told News 8 it’s because Hoosiers aren’t getting vaccinated.
“We’re doing about 4,500 first doses a day right now,” he said. “That’s one-tenth of what it was in April, and the state’s own numbers say the number of fully vaccinated people is only 47.6% and the number of people with the first dose is 47.6%. So, there should be a gap there. There should be 4% or 5% of people who’ve gotten their first dose who are waiting for their second dose, and there aren’t.”
According to other data sources, Calkins says, Indiana ranks 34th in the number of coronavirus cases per 100,000, 37th in deaths and 34th in vaccinations per 100,000.
“Clearly, we’re behind the pack. We’re not even at the average. We have got to get the number up.”
Calkins believes Hoosiers will have more confidence in the vaccines once they are granted full approval by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, but that likely won’t happen for several months.