Only 47% of the nation's 12–17-year Olds are vaccinated against COVID-19, and in nine states, less than a third of eligible teens are vaccinated.
The statistics, as reported by CNN, demonstrate the geographic gaps in vaccination jobs observed in the country: Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina and Tennessee in the South have less than 30% of vaccinated adolescents, as does Dakota North, West Virginia and Wyoming.
Nationwide, 76.2% of Americans age 12 and older in the eligible group have received at least one dose of the vaccine and 65.8% are fully vaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. of Diseases (CDC). Among adults, 78.0% have received at least one injection and 67.6% are fully vaccinated. The agency's COVID data tracker shows that 56.2% of Americans are fully vaccinated against COVID-19, 65.1% have received at least one dose, and 3.6% have received a booster shot.
Also today, the CDC announced that the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) will meet on November 2 and 3 to discuss the use of the Pfizer vaccine in children ages 5 to 11, following a meeting of the Administration of Food and Drugs on October 26.
The United States yesterday reported 100,083 new COVID-19 cases and 2,392 deaths, according to the Johns Hopkins COVID-19 tracker. The 7-day average of new cases per day is 99,669, with 1,765 deaths per day, according to the New York Times tracker.
Throughout the pandemic, marked racial disparities have been observed in the United States, but when the fourth increase caused by the Delta variant (B1617.2) hit the country this summer, that gap was closed as more rural communities experienced an increase in viral activity. In these communities, whites remain unvaccinated, while more blacks and Hispanics are vaccinated against COVID-19.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, as of September 2021, "Racial disparities in cases and death rates have narrowed for Black and Hispanic people in the recent period compared to earlier in the pandemic."
African Americans and Hispanic Americans were also more likely to be exposed to the virus during the early waves of the pandemic, as they were more likely to have front-line jobs that did not allow them to work from home. Now, with many Americans returning to work, essential workers are not the only group at risk.
A survey of corporate leaders shows that 80% of U.S. chief financial officers (CFOs) support vaccine mandates, according to CNBC. The survey comes a day after President Joe Bidens' visit to Chicago, where he congratulated companies already using the vaccine requirements.
Only 15% of the CFOs surveyed said they totally oppose the mandates. In related news, job growth in the United States was sluggish for the second month in a row in September, a sign that the pandemic is still weighing on the economy, the Associated Press reports. Biden said yesterday that the mandates will be good for the economy.
"I know that vaccination requirements are a tough medicine—unpopular to some, politics for others—but they’re lifesaving, they're game-changing for our country," Biden said.
