
(WASHINGTON, D.C.) — The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention released two new reports Monday that documents who were among the first to receive COVID-19 vaccines — breaking it down to race, gender and age.
Between December 14 and January 14, roughly 13 million Americans received at least one dose and, according to reports, 63 percent were women and 55 percent were 55 years old or older.
Further factors found troubling numbers in nursing homes, with 78 percent of residents receiving at least one dose — compared to the 38 percent of staff. The CDC marked that barriers to vaccinate staff “need to be overcome.”
The CDC attempted to break down vaccination demographics, but ran into issues as multiple jurisdictions aren’t reporting a breakdown by race. About half of all people vaccinated have missing data.
Based on what the CDC did find, however, of the 13 million vaccinated Americans — 60 percent were white compared to 12 percent being Latino and 5 percent were Black.
The CDC stresses that understanding the statistics of who is receiving vaccines “is critical to ensure efficient and equitable administration to persons in each successive vaccine priority category, especially those at highest risk for infection and severe health outcomes.”
With a surge of new infections over the past month, partially credited to holiday travel, health officials say one in 12 Americans have since tested positive for COVID-19. Now, with Super Bowl parties around the corner, health officials are bracing once again for a potential surge in new infections, hospitalizations and deaths.
COVID-19 has infected over 26.3 million Americans and killed over 443,000 — 147 times the total lives lost during the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 — as of Tuesday morning, reports Johns Hopkins University.