RI leads nation in child vaccination rates

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (AP) - U.S. health statistics show Rhode Island is doing a better job than most other states when it comes to vaccinating children.

The state's health department announced Wednesday that Rhode Island's immunization rates for measles, rubella, mumps and other diseases in children 19 to 35 months of age are all above 96 percent, making the Rhode Island No. 1 in the nation.

The state also outperforms most states when it comes to immunizing children and adolescents against chicken pox, tetanus, pertussis and polio.

The numbers come from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

State health director Michael Fine says he's proud of the state's immunization rates but that more work must be done to educate parents about the need for vaccinations.