US Covid vaccine in south

US fight against Covid threatened by growing vaccine gap in the south

In the United States, to bring about a long-awaited end to the Covid-19 pandemic, federal and state health officials have been urging all Americans to get vaccinated. But, some states in the south have been lagging when it comes to vaccinating their populations, raising fears of deepening regional disparities.

That raises the prospect that for a complex web of reasons much of the southern US will continue to experience the pandemic differently than the rest of America. That is especially worrisome as the south contains more communities that are more vulnerable to the virus.

Several southern states, particularly in more rural communities, have vaccination rates that are below the national average, according to data. In Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana, less than 50% of adults have received at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

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