Observational study finds COVID-19 vaccination coverage disparities widened in US counties by social vulnerability

This observational study examined patterns in COVID-19 vaccination coverage among adults living in US counties from December 14, 2020, to May 1, 2021. The study assessed coverage by social vulnerability and county characteristics, with no specific comparator group reported. The main finding was that disparities in county-level vaccination coverage by social vulnerability increased as vaccine eligibility expanded. By May 2021, vaccination coverage was lower among adults living in counties with low socioeconomic status and higher percentages of households with children, single parents, and people with disabilities. No specific effect sizes, absolute numbers, p-values, or confidence intervals for these associations were reported. Safety and tolerability data related to vaccination were not reported in this analysis of coverage patterns. Key limitations include the observational nature of the data, which prevents causal inference, and the lack of reported effect magnitudes or precision estimates. The study did not report on funding or conflicts of interest. For practice, this evidence highlights persistent inequities in vaccine access during the early rollout phase, but clinicians should interpret the findings as descriptive associations specific to the US county-level context during the studied timeframe.