By Ethan Covey
While overall COVID-19 vaccination coverage among children and adolescents remains low in the United States, differences in vaccination rates exist among races and ethnicities, according to the CDC.
In the new report, experts stressed that enhanced public health efforts are needed to increase COVID-19 vaccination coverage for all children and adolescents (MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 2023;72[1]:1-8).
The report detailed a study focused on data from the National Immunization Survey–Child COVID Module (NIS-CCM) to evaluate racial and ethnic differences in vaccination status, parental intent to vaccinate their children, and behavioral and social drivers of vaccination among children and adolescents who are 5 to 17 years of age. NIS-CCM is a nationwide, random-digit–dialed telephone survey of households with children and adolescents between 6 months and 17 years of age.
Researchers collected data from 94,838 respondents from Sept. 26, 2021, to Sept. 30, 2022, and included interviews with parents of unvaccinated children or adolescents and parents of children or adolescents who had received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine from December 2020 through September 2022.
They found that adolescent vaccination rates are generally lower than those for adults, and rates decrease further in correlation with younger age.
By Aug. 31, 2022, 68.6% of youth aged 16 to 17 years had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose; the rate declined to 59% in adolescents between 12 and 15 years of age. The researchers found only 33.2% of children aged 5 to 11 years had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine dose.
Differences in vaccination rates based on race and ethnicity were also observed by the researchers. Coverage was highest among Asian children and adolescents, ranging from 63.4% among children aged 5 to 11 to 91% among those 16 to 17.
The second highest coverage rate was seen among Hispanic or Latino children and adolescents (34.5%-77.3%, respectively). Rates of vaccination coverage for Black, white and non-Hispanic other race or multiracial children and adolescents were similar.
The researchers found vaccine coverage for Black children and adolescents aged 5 to 11 years was anywhere from 4% to 33.6% lower than rates observed among Asian, Hispanic and other/multiracial children in the same age group.
Overall, based on data collected from July 1 to Sept. 30, 2022, 47.2% of children and adolescents had received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine, and 43.3% had completed the two-dose primary series.
“The study also revealed that parents of unvaccinated children and teens reported low confidence in vaccine safety, and a low percentage reported receipt of a provider vaccination recommendation,” lead researcher Madeleine R. Valier, MPH, ORISE, a fellow with the Immunization Services Division at the CDC’s National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, told Infectious Disease Special Edition.
“To strengthen confidence in vaccine safety and importance, we urge health care providers and community members who serve as trusted messengers to advocate for vaccination and deliver culturally relevant, tailored messages to parents and guardians.”
Ms. Valier reported no relevant financial disclosures.
