COVID-19 Vaccination Coverage Among Adolescents Aged 12-17 Years - United States, December 14, 2020-July 31, 2021

Abstract

Although severe COVID-19 illness and hospitalization are more common among adults, these outcomes can occur in adolescents (1). Nearly one third of adolescents aged 12-17 years hospitalized with COVID-19 during March 2020-April 2021 required intensive care, and 5% of those hospitalized required endotracheal intubation and mechanical ventilation (2). On December 11, 2020, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for adolescents aged 16-17 years; on May 10, 2021, the EUA was expanded to include adolescents aged 12-15 years; and on August 23, 2021, FDA granted approval of the vaccine for persons aged ≥16 years. To assess progress in adolescent COVID-19 vaccination in the United States, CDC assessed coverage with ≥1 dose* and completion of the 2-dose vaccination series^† among adolescents aged 12-17 years using vaccine administration data for 49 U.S. states (all except Idaho) and the District of Columbia (DC) during December 14, 2020-July 31, 2021. As of July 31, 2021, COVID-19 vaccination coverage among U.S. adolescents aged 12-17 years was 42.4% for ≥1 dose and 31.9% for series completion. Vaccination coverage with ≥1 dose varied by state (range = 20.2% [Mississippi] to 70.1% [Vermont]) and for series completion (range = 10.7% [Mississippi] to 60.3% [Vermont]). By age group, 36.0%, 40.9%, and 50.6% of adolescents aged 12-13, 14-15, and 16-17 years, respectively, received ≥1 dose; 25.4%, 30.5%, and 40.3%, respectively, completed the vaccine series. Improving vaccination coverage and implementing COVID-19 prevention strategies are crucial to reduce COVID-19-associated morbidity and mortality among adolescents and to facilitate safer reopening of schools for in-person learning.

FIGURE

Percentage of adolescents aged 12–17 years who completed the COVID-19 vaccination series^,†— United States, December 14, 2020–July 31, 2021 Abbreviation: DC = District of Columbia. * As of August 17, 2021, only the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine had been authorized for use among adolescents aged 12–17 years. Moderna and Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) COVID-19 vaccines were not authorized under emergency use for this age group during the analysis period; however, many adolescents had documentation of receipt of these vaccines. Thus, these vaccine doses were included in this analysis if they were administered to adolescents aged 12–17 years. ^† Series completion was defined as receipt of either both doses of the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccines, including those who might have received mismatched products between the first and second dose (i.e., Pfizer-BioNTech for the first dose and Moderna for the second dose or vice versa) or a single dose of the Janssen vaccine. ^§ COVID-19 vaccine doses administered to adolescents residing in Idaho were excluded because the state has data-sharing restrictions on information reported to CDC.