Data from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention earlier this month revealed that only 25 percent of Americans aged between 12 and 15 are considered fully vaccinated.
A majority of teenagers and adolescents are still lagging behind on vaccination rates.
In Washington state, the majority of eligible youth have yet to get vaccinated so far.
Despite that, King and San Juan county stand out when it comes o COVID vaccination rates. 61.9 percent of King County's youth and 68.2 percent of San Juan County's doing have gotten both shots of a COVID vaccine.
But the vaccination rates in counties an hour or two away are pretty shocking. The vaccination rate plummets to around 8 percent.
Many adolescents remain opposed to getting vaccinated, which stands to reason the vaccination rates in some U.S. states. The vaccination rate plummets to around 8 percent. So much so, a pediatrician with the University of Washington's medicine school, Dr. Douglas Diekema, said they are playing Russian roulette with the disease.
As misinformation about vaccine efficacy and safety has been spreading like wildfire on the Internet, a community liaison for vaccines outreach and education with the Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department, Linda Graves, pointed out that misinformation could be a potential drag on youth vaccination rates. "Many (youth) said they were getting misinformation from parents, grandparents and friends. They were told the vaccine is harmful. Some youth wondered why teachers were not having conversations with them."
Graves added some vaccine-hesitant teens may have been affected by misinformation and disinformation on social media platforms frequented by tons of teenagers every day across the country.
Misinformation from parents due to a lack of information is also a problem, and this is why in Snohomish County, the health district has partnered with local schools to deliver vaccines at a place most families know and trust (outreach vaccination service), making them accessible especially in the evenings and on weekends.
A few weeks later, and the start of the next academic year will be upon students. Masks mandates will be implemented in schools across Washington state.
Getting a vaccine can undoubtedly ward off COVID's threat, but in order to protect everyone, regardless of vaccination status, health departments across the country are now recommending all people return to masking up indoors.
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