Current Status of Unvaccinated Populations
As of November 2022, more than 80% of the adult population in the United States had received at least one COVID-19 vaccine [1]. Although a large portion of the population is vaccinated, and vaccines are highly effective at preventing severe disease, public health experts continue to encourage greater uptake, as well as receiving boosters when applicable, as SARS-CoV-2 continues to circulate and affect the world [3, 4]. This article will discuss the status of populations who are still unvaccinated nearly three years into the pandemic.
Rather than being united by a common set of values, there are two main unvaccinated populations in the US [4]. The first consists of people who are typically Christian, politically conservative, and white, and who live in rural areas [4]. This group is characterized by an adamant refusal to receive the vaccination [4]. Conversely, the other group – which contains more Hispanic and Black Americans, as well as Democrats compared to the first – is not so concretely opposed to vaccination [4]. Instead, they claim to be weighing their options and could be open to receiving them in due time [4]. The latter population reflects the minority of unvaccinated Americans, which means that most unvaccinated people are resistant to persuasion [4].
Many unvaccinated people express skepticism at the efficacy of COVID-19 vaccines, but reputable studies have documented the significant benefits of these treatments. For one, vaccination substantially reduces the likelihood that people will die from contracting COVID-19. According to a Scientific American article published in June 2022, for every 100,000 COVID-19 infections, 0.22 vaccinated people will die, compared with 1.71 unvaccinated people – more than a seven-fold difference [5]. Hospitalizations are also dramatically higher among the unvaccinated population: Unvaccinated people may be anywhere from 3.5 times to 17.7 times more likely to need to go to the hospital following SARS-CoV-2 infection [2].
Not only are unvaccinated adults more likely to suffer serious consequences as a result of COVID-19, but children can also benefit hugely from vaccinationn. A study by Olson et al. assessed how effective the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine is at safeguarding people aged 12 to 17 from severe cases of COVID-19 [6]. The researchers found that the vaccine was 98% effective at avoiding life support care and intensive care unit internment, and 94% effective at avoiding hospitalization [6]. Seven adolescents died during the observed period, and all of them were not fully vaccinated [6]. Infants are among those who are especially vulnerable to infection. A study found that, of all the cases of severe COVID-19 in children observed across 50 hospitals, 20% involved infants [7]. While none of the infants in the study experienced significant complications, they did exhibit respiratory symptoms [7]. The researchers concluded that vaccination could help reduce this high rate [7]; in June 2022, the FDA gave emergency use authorization to two vaccines for children down to 6 months of age.
One way to improve the status of unvaccinated populations is by disseminating information about vaccination and making the vaccine easier to receive. The CDC recommends targeting places such as workplaces and schools, where positive vaccination experiences can be shared, and information can be distributed through educational materials [8]. Moreover, employers can facilitate the process by compensating employees for the time they take to receive a vaccine, covering transportation costs, or even offering vaccinations at work [8]. If employers are hesitant to adopt these measures, community-based approaches, such as encouraging interactions with local medical professionals, may also work [8].
Of course, the likelihood of changing the minds of all unvaccinated people is unlikely. As such, alternative methods, like regular screening for SARS-CoV-2 infection, could help contain the disease [2]. In the end, the incomplete vaccination coverage demonstrates society’s need for adaptable policies, as the end of the COVID-19 pandemic appears impossible without public cooperation. Continuous effects to monitor the status of unvaccinated populations and implement new strategies as needed are also important.
References
[1] CDC, “COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States,” CDC, Updated November 23, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#vaccinations_vacc-people-booster-percent-pop5.
[2] F. P. Havers et al., “COVID-19-Associated Hospitalizations Among Vaccinated and Unvaccinated Adults 18 Years or Older in 13 US States, January 2021 to April 2022,” JAMA Internal Medicine, Updated September 8, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1001/jamainternmed.2022.4299.
[3] K. M. Bubar et al., “SARS-CoV-2 transmission and impacts of unvaccinated-only screening in populations of mixed vaccination status,” Nature Communications, vol. 13, no. 2777, May 2022. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2114279118.
[4] J. Bosman et al., “Who Are the Unvaccinated in America? There’s No One Answer,” The New York Times, Updated October 24, 2021. [Online]. Available: https://www.nytimes.com/2021/07/31/us/virus-unvaccinated-americans.html.
[5] A. Montañez and T. Lewis, “How to Compare COVID Deaths for Vaccinated and Unvaccinated People,” Scientific American, Updated June 7, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-to-compare-covid-deaths-for-vaccinated-and-unvaccinated-people/.
[6] S. M. Olson et al., “Effectiveness of BNT162b2 Vaccine against Critical Covid-19 in Adolescents,” The New England Journal of Medicine, vol. 386, p. 713-723, February 2022. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa2117995.
[7] C. V. Hobbs et al., “Frequency, Characteristics and Complications of COVID-19 in Hospitalized Infants,” Pediatric Infectious Diseases Journal, vol. 41, no. 3, March 2022. [Online]. Available: https://doi.org/10.1097/INF.0000000000003435.
[8] CDC, “Ways to Help Increase COVID-19 Vaccinations,” CDC, Updated June 17, 2022. [Online]. Available: https://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/covid-19/health-departments/generate-vaccinations.html.