Only 14% of Americans have received the latest COVD-19 vaccine, which the CDC said is below where the agency would like vaccine uptake to be.
"Here's the bottom line: COVID-19 vaccine uptake is lower than we'd like to see, and most people will be without the added protection that can reduce the severity of COVID-19," the agency stated.
However, the CDC underscores that while vaccine uptake has been lower overall, for those 65 and older it has been much higher — around 30%. At the same time, this means that the other two thirds of the at-risk group is not vaccinated.
And so far, the CDC is seeing major disparities between the groups who are getting vaccinated and those who are not. About half as many Black and Hispanic adults received the vaccine as their white counterparts. Similarly, individuals who earn a salary of less than $75,000 were half as likely to get vaccinated than those who receive higher incomes.
"Even though the federal government is only able to provide COVID-19 vaccines for some populations this year (because COVID-19 vaccines are now provided through regular commercial channels)," the agency noted in its news release. "CDC is developing culturally appropriate messages and communication campaigns designed to better reach people who are disproportionately impacted."