COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among Insured Persons Aged ≥16 Years, by Race/Ethnicity and Other Selected Characteristics - Eight Integrated Health Care Organizations, United States, December 14, 2020-May 15, 2021

Abstract

COVID-19 vaccination is critical to ending the COVID-19 pandemic. Members of minority racial and ethnic groups have experienced disproportionate COVID-19-associated morbidity and mortality (1); however, COVID-19 vaccination coverage is lower in these groups (2). CDC used data from CDC's Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD)* to assess disparities in vaccination coverage among persons aged ≥16 years by race and ethnicity during December 14, 2020-May 15, 2021. Measures of coverage included receipt of ≥1 COVID-19 vaccine dose (i.e., receipt of the first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines or 1 dose of the Janssen COVID-19 vaccine [Johnson & Johnson]) and full vaccination (receipt of 2 doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna COVID-19 vaccines or 1 dose of Janssen COVID-19 vaccine). Among 9.6 million persons aged ≥16 years enrolled in VSD during December 14, 2020-May 15, 2021, ≥1-dose coverage was 48.3%, and 38.3% were fully vaccinated. As of May 15, 2021, coverage with ≥1 dose was lower among non-Hispanic Black (Black) and Hispanic persons (40.7% and 41.1%, respectively) than it was among non-Hispanic White (White) persons (54.6%). Coverage was highest among non-Hispanic Asian (Asian) persons (57.4%). Coverage with ≥1 dose was higher among persons with certain medical conditions that place them at higher risk for severe COVID-19 (high-risk conditions) (63.8%) than it was among persons without such conditions (41.5%) and was higher among persons who had not had COVID-19 (48.8%) than it was among those who had (42.4%). Persons aged 18-24 years had the lowest ≥1-dose coverage (28.7%) among all age groups. Continued monitoring of vaccination coverage and efforts to improve equity in coverage are critical, especially among populations disproportionately affected by COVID-19.

FIGURE 1

COVID-19 vaccination coverage* and difference in vaccination coverage^† among persons aged ≥16 years, by race/ethnicity^§ and week — Vaccine Safety Datalink, United States, December 14, 2020–May 15, 2021 Abbreviations: AI/AN = American Indian or Alaska Native; NH = non-Hispanic; NH/PI = Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander; ppt = percentage point. * At least 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine is defined either as the first of 2 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or a single dose of Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine during December 14, 2020–May 15, 2021. ^† Ppt difference in coverage from that in the White population (race/ethnicity coverage – NH, White coverage). ^§ Hispanic persons could be of any race. Black, White, Asian, AI/AN, NH/PI, and multiracial persons were non-Hispanic.

FIGURE 2

Coverage with ≥1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine* among persons aged ≥16 years, by race/ethnicity^† and having a high-risk condition for severe COVID-19 or history of COVID-19^§,¶ — Vaccine Safety Datalink, United States, December 14, 2020–May 15, 2021 Abbreviations: AI/AN = American Indian or Alaska Native; ICD-10 = International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision; NH/PI = Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander. * At least 1 dose of COVID-19 vaccine is defined either as the first of 2 doses of Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, or 1 dose of Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) vaccine during December 14, 2020–May 15, 2021. ^† Hispanic persons could be of any race. Black, White, Asian, AI/AN, NH/PI, and multiracial persons were non-Hispanic. ^§ All patients’ records from the outpatient and inpatient settings are screened (automated records review and chart review) for underlying medical conditions that increase the risk of severe COVID-19 using ICD-10 codes. ^¶ Medical diagnostic codes were used to identify persons with a history of COVID-19 illness. Patient records were also screened for positive lab tests for COVID-19 illness before vaccination. The new ICD-10-Clinical Modification code went into effect on April 1, 2020. https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/icd/Announcement-New-ICDcode-for-coronavirus-3-18-2020.pdf