ACHI, ARKANSAS DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH PARTNER TO TRACK VACCINATION RATES BY SCHOOL DISTRICT

LITTLE ROCK ― The Arkansas Center for Health Improvement on Wednesday added a map to its website showing vaccination rates among the residents of Arkansas school districts. The new web feature is the product of a partnership between ACHI and the Arkansas Department of Health.

ADH analyzed vaccination data as of Aug. 16 to determine the percentage of fully vaccinated residents among the total population residing within the boundaries of each of the state’s 234 geographically distinct public school districts. ACHI illustrated the results in an interactive map on its COVID-19 in Arkansas web page at achi.net/covid19, which also features maps of COVID-19 infection rates by school district, ZIP code, and community. ACHI plans to update the vaccination rates map on a regular basis.

“Once again, we are seeking to provide local information to support local policymakers in decisions related to COVID-19,” said ACHI President and CEO Dr. Joe Thompson. “This will allow them to know how much protection a community has achieved in support of schools.”

Each district’s vaccination rate can be viewed on the map by hovering over the district. The map is also color-coded: A district with 0% to 19% of the total population fully vaccinated is shaded red, a district with a vaccination rate of 20% to 39% is shaded orange, and a district with a vaccination rate of 40% to 59% is shaded yellow.

If a district reaches a vaccination rate of 60% to 79%, it will be shaded light green, and if a district reaches a vaccination rate of 80% to 100%, it will be shaded dark green. As of Aug. 16, no district had a vaccination rate above 46%.

Several of the districts in red are on the outer edges of the state. Data for Arkansas residents who received vaccinations in neighboring states are not currently available, which may result in those districts’ rates being underreported.

The districts with the highest vaccination rates ― 40% to 59% of residents fully vaccinated, or the “yellow zone” ― are:

• Bentonville, 46%
• Fountain Lake, 45%
• Pulaski County Special, 45%
• Eureka Springs, 43%
• Little Rock, 43%
• Cleveland County, 42%
• Magnet Cove, 42%
• Lakeside, 41%
• Jessieville, 41%
• Rogers, 40%

A map showing vaccination rates by ZIP code and a table showing vaccination rates by community will be added to ACHI’s website soon. ACHI plans to add trend tables at a later date.

ACHI is a nonpartisan, independent health policy center that serves as a catalyst for improving the health of all Arkansans through evidence-based research, public issue advocacy, and collaborative program development.

###