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For Immediate Release
October 20, 2022
Contact: Elizabeth Goodsitt/Jennifer Miller 608-266-1683
State Health Department Introduces New Flu Vaccine Data Dashboard and Report on Vaccine Coverage in Wisconsin
The data will help promote vaccines among populations and communities that need them most
The Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) today released its Influenza Vaccine Update and launched a new online flu vaccine data dashboard. Together, the report and data dashboard provide a look at previous and current flu vaccine rates statewide and highlight communities and areas of the state more vulnerable to the seasonal flu.
As of October 18, over 613,000 Wisconsinites have received an influenza vaccination for the current season, This statewide data, including rates by county, age, sex, race, and ethnicity, will be updated on the DHS website weekly throughout the flu season, which varies in duration, but typically spans the fall and winter.
Looking at flu vaccine rates from across the state, prior to and during the COVID-19 pandemic, DHS data indicate that while there was an overall increase in flu shots given in the early days of the pandemic, the trend did not occur among children ages 12 and younger. Data also show a drop in flu vaccines in some rural areas of the state during that same time, and consistently show that Black, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Hispanic people in Wisconsin have lower vaccination rates compared to the rest of the state’s population. This trend reflects past and current social and economic barriers for these communities and provides evidence for the continued need to focus on reducing barriers to getting vaccines.
View the entire news release.
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