How vaccinated is Kansas City? See the latest rates in your county as you make plans
COVID-19 cases are falling in Kansas City, but medical experts are still advising caution when gathering in large groups or planning events that may increase your risk of exposure to the virus.
A big factor in those safety guidelines is vaccination: experts say fully vaccinated people are much safer from COVID-19 than unvaccinated people. We took a look at local data to find out how vaccinated Kansas City’s residents are.
Here’s where to get vaccinated for free in Kansas City.
How vaccinated is Kansas City?
The Star tracks data from the cities of Independence and Kansas City; Platte, Clay and Jackson counties in Missouri; and Johnson and Wyandotte counties in Kansas. Here are the vaccination rates in each locality, arranged from lowest to highest.
Platte County: 42.9%
Clay County: 46.2%
Wyandotte County: 50.8%
Independence: 53.3%
Jackson County: 55.8%
Kansas City: 57.8%
Johnson County: 66.6%
These numbers show the percentage of the total population in each area that has received a full course of vaccination, meaning one dose of a single-dose vaccine or both doses of a two-dose vaccine. Booster shots are not included in this data.
The city of Kansas City has the fifth highest vaccination rate of all municipalities in Missouri. The only regions in the state with higher rates are Joplin, St. Louis County, St. Charles and Boone.
How do we compare to the rest of the country?
Missouri and Kansas are both on the low end of the vaccination rate spectrum compared to other states. According to CDC data, Missouri’s rate of second vaccine doses is 54.6% overall, while Kansas’ is 59.5%.
Hover over your state and others on the map below to see rates of first and second doses administered. As of Thursday, Feb, 10, Rhode Island and Vermont were tied for most second doses at 79.7%, while Alabama had the lowest rate at 49.8%.
Which age groups are most and least vaccinated?
Seniors age 65 and above are the most vaccinated group in Missouri, with 86.8% having completed a full course of vaccination. In Kansas, seniors aged 65 to 74 are vaccinated at the highest rate, with over 92% having received at least one dose of the vaccine. That’s good news, because the highly contagious omicron variant poses an especially high risk to seniors.
Vaccination rates are much lower among children and young adults in the area. Only 35.4% of kids ages 5-17 in the city of Kansas City are fully vaccinated. Many counties don’t have vaccination data specifically for 5-17 year olds, but Missouri overall has an even lower rate of 28.3%.
Currently, children under the age of five are not eligible for any available COVID-19 vaccine. Some people with compromised immune systems, such as those living with HIV or recovering from cancer treatment, are also unable to get vaccinated.
Do you have more questions about vaccination against COVID-19 in Kansas City? Ask our service journalism team at kcq@kcstar.com or with the form below.
This story was originally published February 10, 2022 at 2:45 PM.
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