Investigating the spatial accessibility and coverage of the pediatric COVID-19 vaccine: an ecologic study of regional health data

Abstract

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic presented healthcare workers and public health agency a unique challenge of having to rapidly deliver a novel set of vaccines during a public health crisis. For pediatric patients, there was an additional layer of complexity given the delayed timeline to deliver these vaccines and the differences in dosing and available products depending on the age of those receiving the vaccine. This paper investigates the spatial accessibility and uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine in King County, WA, USA.MethodsPublic data for COVID-19 vaccine sites to calculate spatial accessibility using an enhanced two step floating catchment area (E2SFCA) technique. Spatial regression analyses were done looking at the relationship between spatial accessibility and ZIP code level vaccination rates. Relationships with other socioeconomic and demographic variables were calculated as well.FindingsHigher rates of vaccine accessibility and vaccine coverage were found in adolescent (12 to 17-year-old) individuals relative to school age (5 to 11-year-old) individuals. Vaccine accessibility was positively associated with coverage in both age groups in the univariable analysis. This relationship was affected by neighborhood educational attainment.InterpretationThis paper successfully demonstrates how spatial accessibility measures such as E2SFCA can be used to assess the availability of the COVID-19 vaccine in a region such as a metropolitan area or county. It also provides insight into some of the ecological factors that affect COVID-19 vaccination rates. Implementation of these technique could help public health authorities and healthcare organization plan future vaccination efforts.