According
to a new report released today, more than half of the states in the US are not
prepared for an infectious outbreak. Health Briefs TV reports on the states
that passed and failed, and offers suggestions for readers.
The
report which was released by the
Trust for America's Health (TFAH) and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation found
28 states and the District of Columbia did not pass the test for preventing,
detecting, diagnosing and responding to the outbreaks. States which scored the
best are Delaware, Kentucky, Maine, New York and Virginia. The states which
scored the lowest are Kansas, Michigan, Ohio, Oregon and Utah, and Oklahoma
finished dead last.
The report found that
the United States must take better steps to prevent outbreaks of tuberculosis,
whooping cough and gonorrhea. The US is also behind in childhood vaccinations,
flu vaccinations, hepatitis C, HIV and AIDs, food safety, antibiotic-resistant superbugs,
and be better able to deal with infectious disease threats.
Health Briefs TV believes
that prevention is the key to staying healthy as a nation. That said, readers
who have not had an annual flu shot should get one. Health care providers offer them for a small
fee (less than $30). People without insurance can get one at any local pharmacy
for a little bit more. All it takes is one sneeze or cough from an infected person
and the germs are in the air to catch. Stay healthy and well and start the New
Year in top form.
