NORFOLK, Va. — While the Food and Drug Administration approved a booster shot for some Americans, health leaders are still pushing for people to get their first doses.
A majority of Virginians are fully vaccinated, and even more have received at least one dose of the three available vaccines.
More than 7 of every 10 Virginians are fully vaccinated, and nearly 80% have received at least a dose.
Data still shows that portions of some population groups in the commonwealth remain unvaccinated.
Here is the racial demographic breakdown of the vaccination percentage of eligible Virginians, according to data from the Virginia Department of Health:
- White: 56.2%
- Black: 51.1%
- Latino: 65.6%
- Asian or Pacific Islander: 77.7%
- Native American: 95.8%
Federally administered doses are included in the state's count of those either fully vaccinated, or with at least one dose. However, they do not get counted in the state's demographic groups.
While VDH numbers can automatically update, these are numbers as of 7 p.m., hours after the FDA's panel recommendation for booster shots for adults 65 and older.
Locally, those percentages can change as well.
Here are the same demographic breakdowns, for the seven cities of Hampton Roads (Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Portsmouth, Suffolk, Hampton, and Newport News):
- White: 51.6%
- Black: 44.6%
- Latino: 42.9%
- Asian or Pacific Islander: 64.2%
- Native American: 62.7%
“We're talking about traditions that black communities have had forever, they’re holding on to those traditions instead of trusting the government and its vaccine. Among my community, it’s very split," Dr. Narketta Sparkman-Key, the Academic Affairs Director for Faculty Diversity and Retention at Old Dominion University, said.
She said even months since the vaccines became widely available, a general mistrust of the vaccine's efficacy and time of development still exists among black populations.
“They would rather not have a vaccine because they don’t trust where it came from," Dr. Sparkman-Key said.
A full look at Virginia's vaccination numbers can be found through the VDH's vaccine dashboard.