Covid Vaccination
Though Covid vaccines continue to offer protection against severe Covid symptoms, only 63% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, with varying rates across the country.
Percent of total population fully vaccinated by county
Analysis of CDC vaccine partner data as of January 12, 2022
Source: CDC. Notes: GA, VT, and VA may appear to have a lower percentage of vaccination coverage when viewed by county because 40%, 26%, and 20% of vaccination reports are missing county of residence in these states, respectively. Data is not available at county level for Hawaii. Data for Idaho is for the population 18+
While 63% of the population in the U.S. is fully vaccinated, vaccination rates vary widely across counties.1 There are only 60 counties with 76% or more of their total population vaccinated. These counties are disproportionately coastal and metropolitan areas. By contrast, in roughly half of counties in the U.S., less than 50% of the population is vaccinated. These counties are disproportionately rural. Across the nation, just 24% of the population has received the additional booster shot.1
Post-holiday season, schools across the nation now grapple with how to safely return to in-person learning, looking to vaccines to provide important protections. Uptake in the recently approved Pfizer vaccine for children 5-11 years old varies broadly between states, mirroring trends in adult vaccination rates. As of January 12, 27% of children 5-11 years old had received their first dose of vaccination. However, rates by state range from just 10% in Mississippi to 59% in Vermont.2
Although the Omicron variant has resulted in many breakthrough infections causing some to question vaccine effectiveness, data shows that the vaccine helped protect individuals from severe Covid symptoms, especially those with the additional booster shot.3 In November, unvaccinated adults were 13 times more likely to be hospitalized, and unvaccinated adolescents were 10 times more likely to be hospitalized than peers who were vaccinated.4 Still, even with the rapid spread of Omicron, those who are unvaccinated remain firm in their decision. By mid-December, only 1 in 8 unvaccinated individuals reported they were likely to get vaccinated.5
1. “COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States”. CDC. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-total-admin-rate-total
2. “Children and COVID-19 Vaccinations Trends”. American Academy of Pediatrics. January, 2022. https://downloads.aap.org/AAP/PDF/Child%20Vaccinations%20Report%20US%20and%20by%20State%20Jan%2012.pdf
3. “COVID-19: mRNA booster vaccine offers best protection against Omicron”. Uildriks. Medical News Today. January, 2022. https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/covid-19-mrna-booster-vaccine-offers-best-protection-against-omicron
4. “COVID-NET Laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations”. CDC. https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#covidnet-hospitalization-network
5. “Does The Public Want To Get A COVID-19 Vaccine? When?” Kaiser Family Foundation. https://www.kff.org/coronavirus-covid-19/dashboard/kff-covid-19-vaccine-monitor-dashboard/?utm_source=web&utm_medium=trending&utm_campaign=COVID-19-vaccine-monitor