Inequities in COVID-19 vaccination coverage for adolescents with and without disability, national immunization Survey-Child COVID module, July 22, 2021-February 26, 2022.
NaTasha D Hollis, Tianyi Zhou, Catherine E Rice and 5 others
PMID 37558552WHAT IT FOUND
Adolescents with disabilities had lower COVID-19 vaccination coverage than those without.
The gap was widest for those with cognitive difficulties or trouble running errands alone. Parents of unvaccinated adolescents with disabilities reported more difficulty accessing vaccines despite higher intent to vaccinate.
Key findings
01Adolescents with any disability were less likely to have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine compared to adolescents without disability.
02Vaccination coverage was significantly lower for adolescents with cognitive disabilities or disabilities in performing errands independently compared to those without disability.
03Parents of unvaccinated adolescents with disabilities reported greater difficulty accessing vaccination sites, including issues with location, hours, and transportation, compared to parents of adolescents without disabilities.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
The survey response rate was low (15.1%), which may introduce bias despite statistical weighting. Vaccination status and disability status were based on parent report, which is subject to memory error and social desirability bias. The study did not measure the severity of disability or specific support needs, only the presence of serious difficulty in functional areas. As a cross-sectional survey, it cannot determine cause and effect relationships between disability and vaccination coverage.
Declared interests
The authors reported no conflicts of interest.
The easy way to misread this
Do not assume that all disability types experienced the same barriers to vaccination. The study found significantly lower coverage only for adolescents with cognitive disabilities or difficulties performing errands independently, not for those with mobility, hearing, or vision disabilities alone.