Covid Vaccinations

HealthInformation Access
Written By Alysha Rashid

8 of 10 states with the lowest Covid vaccination rates are in the South. Only about 13% of Southerners are up-to-date.

Percent of population who are up-to-date with Covid vaccines

As of June 30, 2023

Source: CDC. Notes: States without data have chosen not to report their vaccination data to the CDC. Adults and children aged 6 years and older are up-to-date with Covid vaccines if they got a bivalent (updated) Covid vaccine. Definition of up-to-date for children 6 months- 5 years is available here.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ended the Covid public health emergency in May 2023, transitioning or terminating a number of programs and benefits that improved access to Covid care.1 Though Covid vaccination remains free through the CDC Covid-19 Vaccination Program, only 19% of Americans are up-to-date with Covid vaccines.2,3,4 Southerners are lagging, with just 13% of Southerners up-to-date compared to 21% of Non-southerners. 8 of 10 states with the lowest vaccination rates are in the South: MS (7.1%), AL (8.0%), LA (8.1%), TN (11.1%), GA (11.2%), AR (11.6%), WV (12.2%), and FL (12.6%).

A recent survey by the CDC found that the low take-up for the bivalent Covid vaccine was due to a lack of awareness about eligibility or availability, and overconfidence in immunity.5 As the FDA discusses the future of Covid vaccines, about half of adults said they would likely get an annual Covid vaccine, similar to an annual flu shot.6,7 Experts recommend a multi-faceted approach to increase vaccine coverage that both conveys information about booster shots and waning immunity, and increases access to vaccination.

  1. “Fact Sheet: End of the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency”. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. May, 2023. https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2023/05/09/fact-sheet-end-of-the-covid-19-public-health-emergency.html 

  2. “End of the Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE) Declaration”. CDC. May, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/end-of-phe.html

  3. “CDC COVID-19 Vaccination Program Provider Requirements and Support”. CDC. https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/vaccination-provider-support.html#5-23-23 

  4. “COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States”. June, 2023. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccination-states-jurisdictions

  5. “Reasons for Receiving or Not Receiving Bivalent COVID-19 Booster Vaccinations Among Adults – United States, November1-December 10, 2022”. CDC. January, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/volumes/72/wr/mm7203a5.htm

  6. “KFF COVID-19 Vaccine Monitor: March 2023”. Sparks, Presiado, Valdes, Kirzinger, and Brodie. KFF. April, 2023. https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/poll-finding/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-march-2023/

  7. “Once-A-Year Covid Shot Plan In The Works By FDA”. KFF Health News. January, 2023. https://kffhealthnews.org/morning-breakout/once-a-year-covid-shot-plan-in-the-works-by-fda/

Alysha Rashid
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