Diversity of Under-5 Age Group Varies Across States
Prioritizing equity will be a key component of the anticipated rollout of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine to children under 5 years old, which could be authorized as early as next week. Of the 19 million children under 5 in the United States, half are children of color, making this group more diverse than the U.S. population overall (40%).
There is also significant variation across the country. In five states and Washington, DC, children of color account for at least two-thirds of all children in this age group: Hawaii, New Mexico, California, Texas, and Nevada. In eight other states, the share is above half: Arizona, Florida, Maryland, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, Delaware, and Mississippi.
While Black and Hispanic people during the pandemic have been less likely than their White counterparts to have received a COVID-19 vaccine, racial disparities in vaccination rates have narrowed over time and have closed for Hispanic people. Our recent brief on the upcoming vaccination roll-out to young children discusses the importance of addressing potential access barriers and enlisting trusted community messengers to mitigate similar disparities in vaccination rates among this group.