The geography of COVID-19 vaccine completion by age in North Carolina, U.S.

Publication date: Aug 09, 2024

Geographic variation in COVID-19 vaccination can create areas at higher risk of infection, complications, and death, exacerbating health inequalities. This ecological study examined geographic patterns of COVID-19 vaccine completion, using age and sociodemographic characteristics as possible explanatory mechanisms. Using 2020-2022 data from the North Carolina COVID-19 Vaccination Management System and U. S. Census Bureau American Community Survey, at the Zip code-level, we evaluated completion of the primary COVID-19 vaccine series across age groups. We examined geographic clustering of age-specific completion by Zip code and evaluated similarity of the age-specific geographic patterns. Using unadjusted and adjusted spatial autoregressive models, we examined associations between sociodemographic characteristics and age-specific vaccine completion. COVID-19 vaccine completion was moderately geographically clustered in younger groups, with lower clustering in older groups. Urban areas had clusters of higher vaccine completion. Younger and middle-aged groups were the most similar in completion geographically, while the oldest group was most dissimilar to other age groups. Higher income was associated with higher completion in adjusted models across all age groups, while a higher percent of Black residents was associated with higher completion for some groups. COVID-19 vaccination completion is more variable among younger age groups in North Carolina, and it is higher in urban areas with higher income. Higher completion in areas with more Black residents may reflect the success of racial equity efforts in the state. The findings show a need to reach younger populations and lower income areas that were not prioritized during early vaccination distribution.

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Concepts Keywords
Autoregressive Adolescent
Black Adult
Models Age Factors
Vaccine Aged
Child
COVID-19
COVID-19 Vaccines
COVID-19 Vaccines
Female
Geography
Humans
Male
Middle Aged
North Carolina
SARS-CoV-2
Socioeconomic Factors
Vaccination
Young Adult

Semantics

Type Source Name
disease VO COVID-19 vaccine
disease MESH COVID-19
disease VO vaccination
disease MESH infection
disease MESH complications
disease MESH death
disease VO vaccine
drug DRUGBANK Spinosad
disease VO Equity
disease VO population
drug DRUGBANK Tretamine
drug DRUGBANK Coenzyme M
disease VO effective
disease IDO intervention
disease MESH emergency
disease VO dose
disease VO organization
disease VO vaccine dose
disease VO vaccinated
drug DRUGBANK Methionine
disease IDO process
disease VO Rho
disease IDO cell
drug DRUGBANK Ilex paraguariensis leaf
disease VO time
drug DRUGBANK Guanosine
disease MESH Unemployment
disease VO USA
drug DRUGBANK Trestolone
disease VO report
drug DRUGBANK Ibuprofen
drug DRUGBANK L-Tyrosine
disease VO adult age

Original Article

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