Many Americans Appear to be Skipping Second Dose of COVID-19 Vaccine

In the United States, a worrying issue has been uncovered: millions of Americans are skipping their second doses of the COVID-19 vaccine. It has been discovered that roughly 5 million people, or 8% of those who have received a first dose, have not showed up to their second appointment to receive their shot. That is more than double the rate that occurred in the first weeks of the vaccine rollout. Public health experts are worried, and plan to gear up a more aggressive campaign to try and get people to vaccinate.

In other news, the Biden administration is set to supply India, who is being ravaged by the coronavirus, with raw materials for vaccine creation, diagnostic testing kits, ventilators and personal protective gear. India is currently reporting record daily COVID-19 numbers, with the past 5 days breaking world records for case numbers. Despite this, fewer than 10% of Indian citizens have been fully vaccinated, as many have criticized the government’s inoculation efforts.

Lastly, the European Union has announced that American citizens who have been fully vaccinated will be able to visit this summer, after more than a year where nonessential travel has been shut down. The news is a welcomed sign that life is somewhat returning to normal.

Data Table per Our World in Data (April 26, 2021, 12 AM EST)

In the US, vaccination rates are falling despite a high national caseload fueled by variants of COVID-19. On Saturday, more than 50,000 new cases were reported, similar to numbers from the second wave that occurred during this past summer. However, average vaccine doses being given each day have dropped to their lowest level since the end of March.

Data Table per CDC COVID-19 Tracker (April 25, 2021, 6 AM EST)

For more information on COVID-19 vaccination research, distribution, and assessment, check out some of these recent Contagion stories:

One Dose of mRNA Vaccine May Be Enough for Older COVID-19 Survivors

CDC’s ACIP Votes to Reaffirm Recommendation of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine

Public Health Watch: Efforts Needed to Improve Diversity in COVID-19 Vaccine Trials