H1N1 in New England

CDC data show New England has highest rates of H1N1 vaccination.
The AP (4/2, Stobbe) reports, "New England leads the nation in swine flu vaccinations, while the South has the lowest rates, US health officials said Thursday in the first state-by-state report on turnout." Data show that "tiny Rhode Island has the highest rate of about 39 percent -- three times higher than Mississippi, which has the lowest percentage of residents vaccinated, according to" the CDC. The AP adds, "In late November, when vaccine was finally becoming plentiful, swine flu was easing in some Southeastern states but was widespread and more worrisome in the Northeast." According to the CDC's Dr. Anne Schuchat, "New England was 'able to take advantage of that demand with ample supply by then.'" Schuchat also pointed out that "both Rhode Island and Maine had aggressive, statewide efforts to hold clinics at schools."
The Minneapolis Star Tribune (4/2, Lerner) reports, "Nearly one in three Minnesotans received the H1N1 vaccine since last fall, one of the highest rates in the country, federal officials reported Thursday." The state "ranked eighth in the nation, with 31 percent of its residents 6 months or older getting the vaccine," compared to the "national average" of "24 percent." The Providence Journal (4/2, Freyer) provides additional data on Rhode Island, while the St. Louis Post-Dispatch (4/2, Bernhard) says, "Fewer than 16 percent of Missourians received swine flu vaccine through mid-February." In addition, the Richmond (VA) Times-Dispatch (4/2) reports that "ranked by overall vaccination rates, Virginia was tied with Illinois for 18th place among states and the District of Columbia." The Los Angeles Times (4/2, Maugh II) Booster Shots blog also covers the story.