Resistance to coronavirus vaccinations in rural communities in the United States threatens to delay an end to the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a report on Tuesday
WASHINGTON (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 18th May, 2021) Resistance to coronavirus vaccinations in rural communities in the United States threatens to delay an end to the pandemic, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) said in a report on Tuesday.
"Vaccine hesitancy in rural areas is a major barrier that public health practitioners, health care providers, and local partners need to address to achieve vaccination equity," the report said.
The report analyzed county-level coronavirus vaccine administration data among adults aged 18 and over, who received their first dose of either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine, or a single dose of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, in a five month period ending April 10.
Adult vaccination coverage was lower in rural counties (38.9 percent) than in urban counties (45.7 percent) overall and among adults aged 18-64 years (29.1 percent rural, 37.7 perecent urban) when the report was compiled.
The report also cited a March 2021 a poll by the Kaiser Family Foundation showing that that vaccine hesitancy was highest in rural communities, with 21 percent of rural residents stating that they would "definitely not" get a vaccine compared with 10 percent of urban residents.
As of Tuesday morning, the CDC reported that nearly 60 percent of the US population at least 18 years of age had received at least one jab of a coronavirus vaccine.
