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The Nation’s Top 10, Bottom 10 States in Vaccination, Infection Rates

October 14, 2021

It’s not over yet, but Connecticut continues to withstand COVID-19 with a not-so-coincidental combination of vaccination rates that rank among the nation’s highest and a test positivity rate that now ranks among the nation’s lowest.

The state has the second-highest vaccination rate (69.62 percent) and fourth-lowest test positivity rate (2 percent), according to the latest updates Thursday morning.

“Our vaccination rate has played a significant role in reducing at least the mortality in the hospitalizations we are seeing right now,” says Dr. Ajay Kumar, Hartford HealthCare’s Chief Clinical Officer. “But in terms of reducing the positivity, one of the things I like to believe is that Connecticut has generally been a bit more compliant with masks and social distancing than many other states in the country. I’m really proud of our state and how we’ve managed the pandemic.”

What about the rest of the country?

Here, in Top 10 compilations, are states with the highest and lowest vaccination rates and infection rates. Some correlations need no explanation: Idaho, with a stunning 62.8 percent infection rate, also has the second-lowest vaccination rate (42.53 percent). New Jersey, with the ninth-highest infection rate (16 percent) despite having the sixth-highest vaccination rate, requires a deeper look into the vaccine’s effects. In the state’s first report on breakthrough cases last month, only 6 percent of cases and 5 percent of hospitalizations were among vaccinated residents.

States With The Highest Infection Rates

1. Idaho: 62.8 percent
   New Daily Cases: 2,024
   Tests per 100k: 105.4
2. Oklahoma: 60.1 percent
   New Daily Cases: 1,218
   Tests per 100k: 52.5
3. Iowa: 41.5 percent
   New Daily Cases: 8,167
   Tests per 100k: 64
4. Kansas: 30.3 percent
   New Daily Cases: 2,037
   Tests per 100k: 97.6
5. South Dakota: 25.7 percent
   New Daily Cases: 1,088
   Tests per 100k: 203.6
6. Nevada: 23.1 percent
   New Daily Cases: 621
   Tests per 100k: 307.6
7. Wyoming: 18.4 percent
   New Daily Cases: 439
   Tests per 100k: 397.3
8. Mississippi: 17.6 percent
   New Daily Cases: 719
   Tests per 100k: 116.5
9. New Jersey: 16 percent
   New Daily Cases: 1746
   Tests per 100k: 116.2
10. Utah: 15.1 percent
    New Daily Cases: 1845
    Tests per 100k: 294.9

States With The Lowest Vaccination Rates

1. West Virginia: 40.71 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 729,669
2. Idaho: 42.53 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 760,058
3. Wyoming: 42.69 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 247,064
4. Alabama: 43.66 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,140,724
5. Mississippi
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,324,030
6. North Dakota: 45.08 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 343,545
7. Louisiana: 46.35 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,154,812
8. Arkansas: 46.53 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,404,192
9. Tennessee: 46.55 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,179,269
10. Georgia: 46.7 percent
    Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,958,654

States With The Lowest Infection Rate

1. Washington: 0
   New Daily Cases: 3,067
   Tests per 100k: 0
2. California: 1.6 percent
   New Daily Cases: 4,295
   Tests per 100k: 853.1
3. Massachusetts: 1.9 percent
   New Daily Cases: 1,943
   Tests per 100k: 1,114.2
4. Connecticut: 2 percent
   New Daily Cases: 240
   Tests per 100k: 562.9
5. Rhode Island: 2.1 percent
   New Daily Cases: 290
   Tests per 100k: 1,160.5
6. Illinois: 2.1 percent
   New Daily Cases: 2913
   Tests per 100k: 910.6
7. New York: 2.5 percent
   New Daily Cases: 4559
   Tests per 100k: 912.6
8. Vermont: 2.9 percent
   New Daily Cases: 327
   Tests per 100k: 1,343.8
9. Maryland: 2.9 percent
   New Daily Cases: 1113
   Tests per 100k: 623.6
10. Louisiana: 3.6 percent
    New Daily Cases: 551
    Tests per 100k: 422.7

States With The Highest Vaccination Rates

1. Vermont: 70.34 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 438,890
2. Connecticut: 69.62 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 2,482,328
3. Rhode Island: 69.49 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 736,100
4. Maine: 69.34 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 932,135
5. Massachusetts: 68.63 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,730,000
6. New Jersey: 65.25 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 5,795,903
7. Maryland: 64.98 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 3,928,633
8. New York: 64.66 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 12,578,530
9. New Mexico: 63.98 percent
   Number of people fully vaccinated: 1,341,592
10. Washington: 62.22 percent
    Number of people fully vaccinated: 4,737,654