Kansas received low marks in a recent study dealing with states’ preparedness to deal with an infectious disease outbreak.
The study was done by the Trust of America’s Health and by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.
Kansas only scored on three of the ten indicators measuring a state’s readiness.
Some factors contributing to the reason why Kansas failed, included not having at least half of the population immunized against the flu.
Johnson County Department of Health Director Lougene Marsh said the state fell just short of the mark, with around 48 percent of children and adults getting immunized last year.
“It's disappointing to me,” Marsh explained. “Clearly, controlling infectious diseases is one of the core functions of public health."
Marsh said getting the flu shot is one of the best ways of preventing sickness and causing a flu outbreak. However, she said people will choose not to get the vaccine for a variety of reasons.
“Some individuals say, ‘I might get the flu anyway so maybe I just won't get the vaccine’,” she said. “Sometimes, it's just a matter of not taking the time to do it."
Marsh said common disease outbreaks could also include whooping cough, tuberculosis, and measles.
According to Marsh, one of the biggest ways Kansas could prevent an outbreak in the future is by increasing funding for public health.
She said the funding would go towards hiring more personnel, training, and raising awareness of getting vaccinated.
Marsh said the local funding in Johnson County has increased for the next fiscal year, which is helping local health officials in the fight to prevent an infectious disease outbreak.
The ten indicators of the study measured:
- E. Coli testing
- Biosafety training
- Public health laboratories
- Funding for public health
- Flu vaccinations
- Immunization exemptions
- HIV/AIDS surveillance
- Syringe exchange programs
- Climate change adaption plans
- Bloodstream infection reductions
Missouri scored on five of the ten indicators, which landed the state towards the middle of the rankings.
Delaware, Kentucky, Maine, New York, and Virginia scored the highest on the study with eight indicators met.
Kansas was tied for having the lowest score with Oklahoma, Idaho, Michigan, Oregon, and Ohio.
To read the full report, click here.
--------
Tom Dempsey can be reached at tom.dempsey@kshb.com.
