COVID-19 Vaccine Coverage in U.S. Highest Among ≥65-Year-Olds

COVID-19 vaccine coverage is 80.0 percent among those aged 65 years and older, while 34.0 percent of those aged 18 to 39 years report having received a COVID-19 vaccine, according to two studies published in the June 21 early-release issue of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.

Jill Diesel, Ph.D., from the CDC COVID-19 Response Team, and colleagues examined patterns of COVID-19 vaccination coverage among U.S. adults during Dec. 14, 2020, to May 22, 2021. The researchers found that 57.0 percent of persons aged 18 years and older had received one or more COVID-19 vaccine dose by May 22, 2021. Coverage was highest among those aged 65 years and older and lowest for those aged 18 to 29 years (80.0 and 38.3 percent, respectively).

Brittney N. Baack, M.P.H., from the CDC COVID-19 Response Team, and colleagues examined attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination and vaccine intent among adults aged 18 to 39 years. The researchers found that 34.0 percent of respondents reported having received a COVID-19 vaccine. Overall, 51.8, 23.2, and 24.9 percent were vaccinated or definitely planned to get vaccinated, were probably going to get vaccinated or were unsure about getting vaccinated, and were probably or definitely not going to get vaccinated, respectively. Those aged 18 to 24 years were least likely to report being vaccinated and most likely to report being unsure about getting vaccinated or probably not going to get vaccinated. The primary reported reasons for not getting vaccinated were concerns about vaccine safety and effectiveness.

"Achieving high vaccination coverage among adults aged 18 to 39 years is critical to protect this population from COVID-19 and to reduce community incidence," Baack and colleagues write.