DATA - Vaccination Rate in Rural Areas Lags Behind Cities, According to CDC

People who live in rural  areas have an increased risk of hospitalization and death from COVID-19. According to the CDC, as of April 2021, the vaccination rate in rural areas lagged behind cities, and that could hinder the end of the pandemic.

Key Findings

• Through April 10 of this year, vaccination coverage was nearly 39% in rural counties, compared to more than 46% in urban counties, according to the CDC's Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, published Tuesday, May 18th, 2021.
• People who live in these rural areas are more vulnerable to severe COVID-19, in part, because of the lack of access to care. In addition, more people in these areas have underlying health conditions, and fewer people are insured.
• In April, a survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation showed persistent resistance to Covid-19 vaccination in rural America. Some 3 in 10 residents said they would "definitely not" get a Covid-19 vaccine or they would get one only if someone required they have it.
• In the past two weeks, 51% of those vaccinated in the US were people of color, and that's above the 40% general population representation for these groups.