Inequities in coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccination Rates Among Adolescents in Massachusetts: A Cross-sectional Study

Abstract Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has disproportionately affected more socioeconomically disadvantaged persons and areas. We sought to determine how certain sociodemographic factors were correlated to adolescents’ COVID-19 vaccination rates in towns and cities (“communities”) in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Methods Data on COVID-19 vaccination rates were obtained over a 20-week period from 30 March 2021 to 10 August 2021. Communities’ adolescent (ages 12–19) vaccination rates were compared across quintiles of community-level income, COVID-19 case rate, and proportion of non-Hispanic Black or Hispanic individuals. Other variables included population density and earlier COVID-19 vaccination rates of adolescents and adults, averaged from 30 March to 11 May to determine their effects on vaccination rates on 10 August. Linear and logistic regression was used to estimate individual effects of variables on adolescent vaccination rates. Results Higher median household income, lower proportion of Black or Hispanic individuals, higher early adolescent COVID-19 vaccination rates, and higher early adult COVID-19 vaccination rates were associated with higher later adolescent COVID-19 vaccination rates. Income per $10 000 (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.01 [95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01–1.02]), proportion of Hispanic individuals (aOR = 1.33 [95% CI: 1.13–1.56]), early adolescent COVID-19 vaccination rates (aOR = 5.28 [95% CI: 4.67–5.96]), and early adult COVID-19 vaccination rates (aOR = 2.31 [95% CI: 2.02–2.64]) were associated with higher adolescent COVID-19 vaccination on 10 August, whereas proportion of Black individuals approached significance (aOR = 1.26 [95% CI: .98–1.61]). Conclusions Vaccination efforts for adolescents in Massachusetts should focus on boosting vaccination rates early in communities with the lowest incomes and greatest proportion of Hispanic individuals and consider targeting communities with a greater proportion of Black individuals. In Massachusetts communities, lower income, early adolescent and adult vaccinations, and higher proportion of Black or Hispanic individuals correlated with lower adolescent vaccination rates. Prior to the roll-out of COVID-19 vaccinations, planners should lay groundwork targeting such communities.