Covid-19 vaccination rates for kids echo regional disparities, worrying doctors

CDC data analyzed by NBC News reveal stark regional disparities that are deepening across the country.

Whether children receive a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine often depends on where they call home. 

About 81 percent of children ages 12 to 17 in Vermont have had at least one dose of a vaccine to protect against Covid-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed by NBC News. Puerto Rico leads the U.S. with a vaccination rate of 91 percent. 

But in West Virginia, the rate is just 35 percent — a marker of stark regional disparities that are deepening across the country. 

The analysis, which tracks closely with a separate review of vaccination data by the American Academy of Pediatrics, suggests that children are subject to some of the same geographic inequities as adults. 

About 58 percent of eligible children nationwide have had at least one shot, but the rollout has stalled. Just 137,000 children got a first shot last week — the second fewest in a week since April, according to data from the pediatrics academy. 

Children 16 and up became eligible for the Pfizer vaccine in December. Access was expanded to children ages 12 to 15 in May. The number of children receiving first shots has been on a downward trend since mid-August, the pediatrics academy data show.

As the pace of vaccination slows among young people, doctors say they’re battling deeply ingrained misconceptions that could leave many children unvaccinated and at heightened risk. Some parents internalized reassuring messages about children’s risk early in the pandemic that aren’t true. Vaccination access and parents’ vaccine hesitancy are also issues. ...