Public Health

World faces shortage of syringes as COVID vaccine doses rise NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — African health officials and the United Nations are warning of a looming shortage of more than 2 billion syringes for mainly low- and middle-income countries around the world as the supply of COVID-19 doses rises, and routine vaccinations could be affected, too. AP NEWS

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) —

CDC data analyzed by NBC News reveal stark regional disparities that are deepening across the country.

Whether children receive a dose of a Covid-19 vaccine often depends on where they call home. 

About 81 percent of children ages 12 to 17 in Vermont have had at least one dose of a vaccine to protect against Covid-19, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention analyzed by NBC News. Puerto Rico leads the U.S. with a vaccination rate of 91 percent. 

But in West Virginia, the rate is just 35 percent — a marker of stark regional disparities that are deepening across the country. 

The analysis, which tracks closely with a separate review of vaccination data by the American Academy of Pediatrics, suggests that children are subject to some of the same geographic inequities as adults.