This year’s extensive coverage of the Ebola epidemic has raised questions about the U.S healthcare system’s abilities to handle such a disease. A new report by the Trust for America’s Health shows Wyoming’s healthcare system is unprepared for a serious outbreak of that kind.
The study graded states in 10 areas of preparedness. Wyoming received 3 out of a possible 10 points.
One of the areas Wyoming did poorly in was vaccination rates. Fewer than half of Wyomingites get the flu vaccine.
Kim Deti, with the Wyoming department of health, said some people may be hesitant to vaccinate. Diseases like pertussis, measles, or mumps are no longer as common, and are thus seen as less of a threat.
"So they take them for granted and are open to suggestions that may not be really based in what we would recommend medically to people," Deti said.
Despite the low grade from the study, Deti said she remains confident in Wyoming’s ability to combat infectious diseases.
"You know we have small scale infectious outbreaks on a regular basis and we’re able to respond pretty effectively to those. We have things that happen on a larger scale like the flu every year. But we’re as ready as the resources we have and as the work in front of us allows us to be," she said.
Deti added that the study should not be cause for alarm for Wyomingites.
Only half of all states received more than 5 points for their preparedness efforts.