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Coronavirus statistics are looking better for the country as a whole, with some health experts saying the worst is almost behind us. But while some states are making progress, others are not. Indiana is one of them.
A new study reports the Hoosier state ranks as the 10th-least safe state when it comes to the pandemic.
Dr. Amy Beth Kressel, infectious disease specialist at Eskenazi Health, said instead of booster shots, the focus needs to remain on getting people fully vaccinated.
“The lack of boosters is not what’s been driving the pandemic,” Kressel said. “What is continuing to drive infections and hospitalizations and transmissions and deaths are people who are not vaccinated.”
The study compiled data obtained by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the U.S. Census Bureau. Three key findings emerged. Indiana ranked 45th out of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia in vaccination rates and 41st in total positive cases. The state also had the 11th-highest overall death rate.
While Kressel encourages those who are eligible and at high risk to consider boosters, her message to people who haven’t gotten the vaccine yet is this: Just get it.