- Counties with high numbers of older adults living in poverty, alone, or with limited access to a computer or internet have lower COVID-19 vaccination rates among people 65 years or older.
- This may reveal the hurdles faced by older adults in trying to get a vaccine.
- Experts say this shows the many factors that prevent someone from getting the vaccine.
U.S. counties with lower COVID-19 vaccination rates among people 65 years or older also have higher numbers of older adults living in poverty or with other social vulnerabilities, according to researchers from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Older adults were among those prioritized to receive the vaccine early during the country’s rollout, as they are at higher risk of severe illness or
But CDC researchers found that between December 2020 and April of this year, the percentage of older adults who had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine varied widely across the country.
During this time, 79.1 percent of older Americans received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. Rates were slightly higher in men (79.6 percent) than women (77.5 percent). They were also slightly higher among 65- to 74-year-olds (79.6 percent) than people 75 years or older (78.3 percent).
First-dose vaccination rates ranged from 68.9 percent in Alabama and 69.2 percent in West Virginia to 92.9 percent in Vermont and 99.9 percent in New Hampshire.
Researchers also found that counties with lower vaccination rates among older adults were more likely to have higher numbers of older adults living in poverty, living alone, or without access to a computer or the internet.
The results were published May 14 in the CDC’s journal
Source: healthline