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Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health

Population Health Research Brief Series

Older Adult Vaccination Rates Lag in Rural Areas and the South

Claire Pendergrast, Yue Sun

October 2021

Older adults face especially severe health risks from COVID-19 compared to other age groups. Getting vaccinated is the most effective way for older adults to reduce their risk of serious illness or death.

This brief examines geographic trends in COVID-19 vaccination rates for adults age 65+. The authors find that older adult vaccination rates are low in rural areas and especially low in the South.

Lerner Center for Public Health Promotion and Population Health