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PORTLAND, Maine (AP) — The America's Health Rankings report says Maine climbed from 20th to 15th among states this year, in large part because of improved toddler immunization rates.
The Minnesota-based United Health Foundation measures each state's health by examining 27 factors such as smoking rates, infectious diseases and obesity. The Portland Press Herald (http://bit.ly/1IZHD2n ) reports Maine's immunization rate for children between 19 and 35 months increased from 35th in the country to first last year.
The state's health was largely the same in other categories. Public health advocacy group Maine Quality Counts says the uptick in vaccine rates stems in part from an educational campaign with the Maine Center for Disease Control & Prevention.
Hawaii had the highest ranking and Louisiana had the lowest. Maine was the lowest ranked state in New England.
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