Why COVID-19 vaccination rate lagging among some millennials
London, Ont. -
As London and Middlesex County race to vaccinate people against COVID-19 and its variants, one age group is falling behind the pace.
According to the Middlesex-London Health Unit (MLHU), only 65.4 percent of 30 to 34 year olds have received a first dose, well below the 78.4 percent vaccination rate among all adults in the region.
MLHU vaccination rates as of July 13, 2021. (Supplied)
MLHU vaccination rates as of July 13, 2021. (Supplied)
Medical Officer of Health Dr. Chris Mackie believes several factors are responsible, including busy lifestyles and greater competition to book vaccination appointments when they first became eligible in May.
“We were expecting each new decade to be added once a week. When we got to the 20 to 39 year old group they were all added at once,” Dr. Mackie explains.
Like many millennials, having a young family and a career keeps Ross Ocampo busy.
The 34-year-old is already double vaccinated, but he understands why the local vaccination rate is lagging among his peers.
“People at this age are trying their best to study, sometimes to work and study, and taking care of their family,” he explains.
Dr. Mackie suspects another reason that 30 to 34 year olds are the least vaccinated age group— infection rates among younger adults during the peak of the pandemic.
“Many people in their twenties have a friend who was hit pretty hard, or many friends hit by COVID,” he explains. “So they are very aware of the risk and eager to get vaccinated.”
Recent changes to the MLHU vaccination program aim to accommodate the busy schedules of young adults.
More than a dozen pop-up clinics are scheduled over the next month across the region, and anyone requiring a first dose no longer requires an appointment at a mass vaccination clinic.
Those awaiting a first dose can simply drop in.
Dr. Mackie adds that progress still needs to be made across many age groups.
“We want to get all of those age categories up above 80 percent by the fall.”
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