It was announced by the US Centers of Disease Control and Prevention that around 21.3% of the children had been vaccinated at the end of January against the pandemic A influenza virus.

At a press conference today, Anne Schuchat, MD, Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the CDC, said that over the past two months, lower vaccine uptake in Georgia and other southern states may clarify why this virus has formed an upswing in disease and hospitalization.

It was seen from the April 2 issue of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report that the vaccination rate for all individuals was 23.9%, whereas the people who were 18 years or older had the rate of 20.1% and the rate was 36.8% for children who were between the age of 6 months to 17 years.

The second worst rate was posted for the southern states including Georgia at 20.1%, where as the total vaccination rate for Alabama, which is Georgia's neighbor, was posted as 15.7% and third worst state which was posted was Missouri.

Dr. Schuchat said that the only reason behind low vaccination rates is the second pandemic wave that hit the region earlier before hitting other places.

When the vaccine was available in these countries in large quantities, the wave had already passed and demand for this vaccine had also reduced.