As the summer wave of the Coronavirus continues to impact the nation, a recent study has identified the states with the lowest COVID-19 vaccination rates among adults, placing Kentucky among the bottom ten.
The Zinda Law Group conducted an analysis of data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to assess the percentage of individuals aged 18 and older who have received the COVID-19 vaccine in each state.
According to the rankings, the ten states with the lowest vaccination rates are Wyoming, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Montana, Alabama, North Dakota, Mississippi, Alaska, Kansas, Kentucky, and South Dakota. Wyoming had the lowest rate at 64.3 percent, while Kentucky showed a vaccination rate of 73.1 percent, equating to approximately 943,991 adults. Furthermore, only 16.5 percent of vaccinated Kentuckians, estimated at 579,028 individuals, received an updated vaccine dose between 2023 and 2024.
In contrast, Rhode Island and Massachusetts reported the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in the United States, with both states achieving a 90.1% vaccination rate among adults. Rhode Island has around 88,320 residents aged 18 and over who have not been vaccinated, while Massachusetts has about 560,300 unvaccinated individuals.
A representative from the Zinda Law Group noted, “The data shows significant differences in COVID-19 vaccination rates across states. This may be influenced by various factors including healthcare access, vaccine supply, and public trust in the vaccine.”
The analysis utilized data from the CDC regarding adult vaccination rates and incorporated population estimates from the U.S. Census Bureau to determine the number of unvaccinated individuals in each state.