In the immediate future,vaccinations among kids and teens, specifically, will be the biggest driver of increased vaccination rates in the United States. And if current trends continue, 56% of adolescents aged 12 to 17 could be fully vaccinated before the new year, compared to 51% at time of publishing.

The only vaccine authorized for use in people under the age of 18 is Pfizer.

What about younger kids? In October, children aged 5 to 11 becameeligible for vaccination.About 10% of children in this age group have received their first dose, the White Houseannouncedon November 17. By year’s end, 22% of this age group is expected to be fully vaccinated.

This number is based on the trajectory of vaccinations seen among 12- to 17-year-olds. But we already know that the vaccination trends for the younger age group may not precisely mirror the rollout for teens. The younger the kids, the more parents worry.

According to theVerywell vaccine sentiment tracker, the largest concern for surveyed parents of school-aged children is the risk of side effects, though they are even more apprehensive of their child getting COVID-19 and experiencing long-term effects.

Why Vaccinating Kids Matters for Everyone

Why 70%?While there’s still no clear percentage of the population necessary to reach herd immunity for COVID-19, 70% is a good place to start. Herd immunity refers to the protectiveness achieved when a significant portion of a population develops immunity to an infectious disease, either through vaccination or having a prior illness. Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, used to say 60% to 70% of the population needed to be vaccinated or recovered to reach herd immunity,his projection has evolvedto range from 70% to 90%.

Why 70%?

While there’s still no clear percentage of the population necessary to reach herd immunity for COVID-19, 70% is a good place to start. Herd immunity refers to the protectiveness achieved when a significant portion of a population develops immunity to an infectious disease, either through vaccination or having a prior illness. Anthony Fauci, MD, director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, used to say 60% to 70% of the population needed to be vaccinated or recovered to reach herd immunity,his projection has evolvedto range from 70% to 90%.

Does Herd Immunity Still Matter?

Puerto Rico boasts the highest vaccination rate of the U.S. states and territories, with nearly 74% of the population vaccinated today. Vermont follows closely behind at more than 71%. By the end of the year, the top four states and territories may see vaccination rates over 78%.

Vaccinating Children Can Limit COVID-19 Spread Ahead of the Holidays

While adults are known to experience more severe outcomes of COVID-19, unvaccinated children are still vulnerable to serious illness and death and can suffer the effects of long COVID-19 if they are infected.

As we enter the holiday season, experts say that even one dose of the vaccine canminimizethe risk of children spreading COVID-19 to more vulnerable loved ones, like grandparents and older adults who are more susceptible to breakthrough cases.

A variety of sitesoffer vaccinationsfor kids across the country. You can contact your child’s pediatrician or general care team to see if they offer vaccine appointments or visit major pharmacies, including locations like CVS, Walgreens and Walmart. Many communities have also set up clinics attrusted locationslike schools and places of worship.

Kids aged 5 to 11 receive asmaller dosethan adults and teens. Vaccination sites like pharmacies and doctors’ offices were slower to roll out the vaccine after authorization for the younger age group because sites had to wait for new inventory shipments from Pfizer.

You can check for available appointments near you atVaccines.gov. All clinics that appear on this site have vaccines on hand to dole out to youngsters.

Methodology

November 23, 2021:A previous version of this projection miscalculated the number of 12-17-year-olds in the United States, slightly underestimating their year-end vaccination rate.

The information in this article is current as of the date listed, which means newer information may be available when you read this. For the most recent updates on COVID-19, visit ourcoronavirus news page.

4 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.COVID data tracker.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC recommends pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 years.Hamel L, Lopes L, Sparks G, et al.KFF COVID-19 vaccine monitor: October 2021. Kaiser Family Foundation.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States.

4 Sources

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.COVID data tracker.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC recommends pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 years.Hamel L, Lopes L, Sparks G, et al.KFF COVID-19 vaccine monitor: October 2021. Kaiser Family Foundation.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States.

Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.COVID data tracker.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC recommends pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 years.Hamel L, Lopes L, Sparks G, et al.KFF COVID-19 vaccine monitor: October 2021. Kaiser Family Foundation.Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States.

Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.COVID data tracker.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.CDC recommends pediatric COVID-19 vaccine for children 5 to 11 years.

Hamel L, Lopes L, Sparks G, et al.KFF COVID-19 vaccine monitor: October 2021. Kaiser Family Foundation.

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.COVID-19 vaccinations in the United States.

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