In most states, COVID-19 vaccination lower in rural counties

COVID-19 vaccination coverage was about 7 percentage points lower in rural counties than in urban counties as of April 10, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported today. About 39% of adults in rural counties had received at least one vaccine dose compared with 46% of adults in urban counties. Thirty-six states had higher coverage in urban counties, five had higher coverage in rural counties, and five had similar coverage in rural and urban counties. The other four states did not have any rural counties. 

“As availability of COVID-19 vaccines expands, public health practitioners should continue collaborating with health care providers, pharmacies, employers, faith leaders, and other community partners to identify and address barriers to COVID-19 vaccination in rural areas,” the authors said.