America is headed for vaccine 'oases' and 'deserts.'
 | By Nathaniel Lash Graphics Reporter, Opinion |
Back when President Biden pledged that every adult would be eligible for the coronavirus vaccine by May, my Times Opinion colleagues and I got to thinking: What is this country going to look like after the next phase of vaccinations? |
We found some clues among a group of Americans who have been eligible for months now: seniors. |
Few states publish detailed enough data to see precisely where seniors are (and aren't) getting vaccinated. But the data we do have shows that we are bound for an America marked by vaccine "oases," communities where most people get vaccinations and herd immunity is reached, and "deserts," where vaccination rates lag behind because of supply, outreach or hesitancy. |
Detailed vaccination data from Florida and Idaho show the role wealth plays in determining who really gets the vaccine among equally prioritized groups. In the highest income counties, nearly all seniors have been vaccinated. Seniors in the poorer areas haven't. |
 | | *Percentage vaccinated shows the number of people vaccinated in the county compared with the population estimate, and can therefore exceed 100 percent in certain circumstances.The New York Times |
|
Then there's vaccine hesitancy, which indicates even longer-term problems: Several polls have indicated that conservatives — particularly conservative men — are more likely to say they won't get vaccinated. And we are beginning to see signs that they are following through on that; counties that supported Donald Trump in the 2020 election are seeing far lower vaccination rates than counties that supported Joe Biden. |
Politicians keep talking about a vaccine for everyone who wants one. But to hit high enough levels of vaccination to end this pandemic, we're going to need more people to want it. |
The deserts and oases are just on the horizon. When we look nationwide, we already see signs that a handful of states are falling far behind. |
 | | The New York Times |
|
Making everyone eligible for the vaccine represents a major turning point in the pandemic. But what happens after depends on getting this next phase right. |
Here's what we're focusing on today: |
Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com |
Contact Us
If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. |
|
No comments:
Post a Comment