WVU in the News: Growing gaps in U.S. vaccination rates show regions at risk
The gap between the most vaccinated and least vaccinated places in the U.S. has exploded in the past three months, and continues to widen despite efforts to convince more Americans to get a Covid shot.
West Virginia was an early leader in the U.S. campaign, quickly vaccinating many of its elderly residents in nursing homes. But its rates have fallen off since then. It now ranks ninth from last among states, based on the share of the population with at least one dose.
Christopher Martin, an expert in public health at West Virginia University, said that many of the places where people are most likely to be hesitant about vaccines are also the places where it’s least convenient to find one.