December 15, 2021
Nearly 20 percent of children ages 5 to 11 in the United States have received their first dose of a Covid-19 vaccine since the shots were approved for them in early November.
Several New England states are leading the vaccination effort for young children, with vaccinations in Vermont, Massachusetts and Rhode Island all above 35 percent — far higher than the nationwide average of 19 percent, according to an NBC News analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But at the county level there’s a disparity. Fewer than 10 percent of children in rural counties are vaccinated, half the rate of their urban counterparts.
About 6 percent of vaccinations went to 5- to 11-year-olds in rural counties, even though 13 percent of kids in that age group live in rural areas, according to the analysis. About 94 percent of vaccinations for kids 5-11 come from urban areas, while 87 percent of young kids live in urban areas.
Read more at NBC News.