More women than men are getting COVID-19 vaccines, according to a data analysis by Kaiser Health News.
KHN analyzed early April vaccination data from all 50 states and Washington, D.C., and found that of the 38 states tracking gender data, all 38 reported more women receiving vaccines than men.
Public health experts cited many potential reasons for the difference, such as women accounting for about 75 percent of the workforce in healthcare and education, sectors prioritized for initial vaccines. Women also have a longer average life span, meaning older people in the first rounds of eligibility were more likely to be female. However, as eligibility expands, the gap has continued.
The analysis revealed the vaccine breakdown between women and men is typically around 60 percent and 40 percent, respectively. Not all states measure vaccinations by gender in the same way, though, with some breaking down the statistics by total vaccine doses, while others report people who have gotten at least one dose. Some states also report a separate category for nonbinary people or those whose gender is unknown.
Experts hypothesize that women's roles as caregivers and a greater general likelihood to seek out preventive healthcare may explain the continued gap, according to KHN.