by Paul Ricci
It was brought to my attention that there is a problem with the DTP vaccine coverage data in West Virginia so I deleted the graphs and the previous post on this issue. The mortality data is real so I left it in the post. Mortality is high in West Virginia.
The graph above from the last post shows the elevated mortality rates in the Alleghenies with many West Virginia zip codes with mortality rates above 1,000 deaths per 100,000. If we exclude West Virginia, mortality is still higher in the Alleghenies. A median value is the value that appears in the middle if the values are ranked from highest to lowest.
Above we see that there are many zip codes in the border area of Virginia with West Virginia that also have elevated mortality rates as well as many Virginia zip codes. Below is a box plot that looks at mortality rates by state and the Alleghenies.
The above plot shows elevated median mortality rates for the Allegheny regions for each state (above 750 deaths/100,000). For the non-Allegheny regions each state has a median zip code at or below 750 deaths/100,000. The conditions that lead to the higher rates in the Alleghenies may be exasperated in West Virginia. West Virginia is completely covered by the Alleghenies.
According to the CDC, only 2 measles cases are in West Virginia so far this year. By comparison, PA has 767 cases with 4 deaths so far. If the outbreak goes unchecked it is a matter of time it spreads to other states.