DOTHAN, Ala. – Across the country, 60% of adults have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine.
In Alabama, the number drops significantly. According to the CDC, only 44% of people 18 years and older in Alabama have received at least one dose of a COVID vaccine.
Research shows that people who are vaccinated are less likely to become severely sick and hospitalized from the coronavirus.
According to the Alabama Department of Public Health, this past April there were more 16 to 34 year olds hospitalized because of the virus than there were for people 75 years and older.
“That doesn’t mean hospitalizations are increasing in the 16-to-34-year olds, it just shows that they are remaining very flat relative to the over 75 who are experiencing big decreases in hospitalizations,” said Dr. Suzanne Judd with The University of Alabama at Birmingham. “That’s an indication the vaccine is working doing what it’s supposed to do.”
Alabama is one of 10 states in the country where less than 50% of adults have received at least one dose of the vaccine.
Judd said the safest and most effective way for the country to have herd immunity is from getting the vaccine.
“In order to reach that level of immunity for Covid we know that about 70% of the population has to be immune but that’s not 70% of the total state,” said Judd. ‘It’s 70% of everyone. So, 70% of 75 and older, 70% of 18-to-34-year olds, 70% of all populations and we’re just not there yet.”
She said getting children vaccinated is a key aspect of having the coronavirus be a thing of the past.
