Nearly nine out of ten Americans who received the first dose of a two-dose Covid-19 vaccine completed the treatment, and most people who received two doses received it within the recommended time frames, federal health officials said Monday. report.
The analyzes, conducted by researchers at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, included data on tens of millions of Americans who received the Moderna or Pfizer-BioNTech vaccines between mid-December and mid-February.
However, the percentage of people who have completed the regimes varies greatly by jurisdiction and between demographic groups. Federal health officials have urged local intruders to take steps to ensure everyone returns, including planning a back-up appointment when sending the first survey, sending reminders and rescheduling the missing or canceled appointments.
While the data were generally ‘reassuring’, CDC researchers said the first groups to receive the vaccine in the United States – health workers and residents of long-term care institutions – had easy access to the second dose, as they were likely to be vaccinated at their place of work or residence.
As vaccines are offered to broader groups of people, the scientists warned that the percentage to be fully vaccinated could drop.
Humans are only considered fully vaccinated against the coronavirus two weeks after receiving the second dose of the two-dose treatment (or two weeks after receiving the single-dose vaccine made by Johnson & Johnson).
CDC researchers looked at approximately 40.5 million Americans who were vaccinated between December 14, 2020 and February 14, 2021.
In one analysis, they reviewed the records of 12.4 million people who received the first dose of a two-dose vaccine treatment and had enough time to receive the second dose. About 88 percent completed the series, while 8.6 percent were still within the allowable interval – 42 days – to receive the second dose. But 3.4 percent missed the window. (The recommended dose interval is 21 days for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine and 28 days for Moderna).
Americans probably missed the second dose, and it depended on the country. Among the vaccine recipients for whom information on race and ethnicity was known, the lowest completion rates were among Indians or indigenous individuals in Alaska.
In a second analysis of 14.2 million people who completed the complete regimen, it was found that 95.6 percent received the second dose within the recommended period, although the figures again differ according to the community.
The authors of the study called on providers and public health professionals to encourage Americans to come back for second doses and to emphasize the importance of full vaccination. CDC officials also asked that vaccinations work to understand what keeps people from completing the series, and whether access or lack of confidence in the vaccines plays a role.