Inequities in COVID-19 vaccine and booster coverage across Massachusetts ZIP codes after the emergence of Omicron: A population-based cross-sectional study

Background Inequities in Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine and booster coverage may contribute to future disparities in morbidity and mortality within and between Massachusetts (MA) communities. Methods and findings We conducted a population-based cross-sectional study of primary series vaccination and booster coverage 18 months into the general population vaccine rollout. We obtained public-use data on residents vaccinated and boosted by ZIP code (and by age group: 5 to 19, 20 to 39, 40 to 64, 65+) from MA Department of Public Health, as of October 10, 2022. We constructed population denominators for postal ZIP codes by aggregating census tract population estimates from the 2015–2019 American Community Survey. We excluded nonresidential ZIP codes and the smallest ZIP codes containing 1% of the state’s population. We mapped variation in ZIP code-level primary series vaccine and booster coverage and used regression models to evaluate the association of these measures with ZIP code-level socioeconomic and demographic characteristics. Because age is strongly associated with COVID-19 severity and vaccine access/uptake, we assessed whether observed socioeconomic and racial/ethnic inequities persisted after adjusting for age composition and plotted age-specific vaccine and booster coverage by deciles of ZIP code characteristics. We analyzed data on 418 ZIP codes. We observed wide geographic variation in primary series vaccination and booster rates, with marked inequities by ZIP code-level education, median household income, essential worker share, and racial/ethnic composition. In age-stratified analyses, primary series vaccine coverage was very high among the elderly. However, we found large inequities in vaccination rates among younger adults and children, and very large inequities in booster rates for all age groups. In multivariable regression models, each 10 percentage point increase in “percent college educated” was associated with a 5.1 (95% confidence interval (CI) 3.9 to 6.3, p < 0.001) percentage point increase in primary series vaccine coverage and a 5.4 (95% CI 4.5 to 6.4, p < 0.001) percentage point increase in booster coverage. Although ZIP codes with higher “percent Black/Latino/Indigenous” and higher “percent essential workers” had lower vaccine coverage (−0.8, 95% CI −1.3 to −0.3, p < 0.01; −5.5, 95% CI −7.3 to −3.8, p < 0.001), these associations became strongly positive after adjusting for age and education (1.9, 95% CI 1.0 to 2.8, p < 0.001; 4.8, 95% CI 2.6 to 7.1, p < 0.001), consistent with high demand for vaccines among Black/Latino/Indigenous and essential worker populations within age and education groups. Strong positive associations between “median household income” and vaccination were attenuated after adjusting for age. Limitations of the study include imprecision of the estimated population denominators, lack of individual-level sociodemographic data, and potential for residential ZIP code misreporting in vaccination data. Conclusions Eighteen months into MA’s general population vaccine rollout, there remained large inequities in COVID-19 primary series vaccine and booster coverage across MA ZIP codes, particularly among younger age groups. Disparities in vaccination coverage by racial/ethnic composition were statistically explained by differences in age and education levels, which may mediate the effects of structural racism on vaccine uptake. Efforts to increase booster coverage are needed to limit future socioeconomic and racial/ethnic disparities in COVID-19 morbidity and mortality. In a population-based cross-sectional study, Dr. Jacob Bor and colleagues, explore inequities in COVID-19 vaccine and booster coverage across Massachusetts ZIP codes after the emergence of Omicron. Author summary Why was this study done? Vaccination, including the booster shot, is a critical line of defense against severe disease due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) infection. We sought to understand the geography of vaccine and booster coverage across Massachusetts (MA) ZIP codes and to assess coverage inequities 18 months into the MA’s general population vaccine rollout. What did the researchers do and find? Data on numbers vaccinated and boosted from MA Department of Public Health were combined with ZIP code denominators constructed de novo from US Census data. As of October 2022, there were large differences in primary series vaccine and booster coverage across MA ZIP codes. The share of children vaccinated ranged from under 40% to over 90% across ZIP codes. The share of elderly adults boosted ranged from under 60% to 100%. Primary series vaccine and booster coverage increased with ZIP code-level income and education and fell with percent Black/Latino/Indigenous and percent essential workers. Education levels were the strongest predictor of vaccine and booster uptake. After adjusting for age and education levels, vaccine and booster uptake was higher in ZIP codes with many Black/Latino/Indigenous residents or essential workers. Access, not “hesitancy,” may drive persistent vaccination gaps in these communities. What do these findings mean? Inequities in vaccine and booster coverage may lead to future inequities in morbidity, mortality, and economic losses due to COVID-19.