Coronavirus vaccinations in Missouri continue to increase, but the younger population is falling behind in the process

COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)

As coronavirus vaccinations in Missouri continue to increase, ages 20 to 35 are making up a large percentage of positive cases across the state.

Sara Humm with the Columbia/Boone County Health Department said we have seen 244 cases of COVID-19 in Boone County in the last month.

Humm said 32% of the 244 cases are made up of of 20-29 age group.

According to the DHSS COVID-19 Dashboard, in Missouri 22.6% of the 15-24 age group, and 31% of the 25-34 age group have completed vaccination in the state.

For ages 55-64, 52.2% of the population have completed vaccination as well as 70.6% of the 75-84 age group.

Lisa Cox with DHSS said early on the elderly population was at a higher risk for developing serious cases of COVID-19.

"We heard so much about the elderly population getting hit so hard with the disease, making the younger population feel they don't need to get vaccinated," Cox said.

Cox said now with the various COVID-19 variants on the rise in the US that is no longer the cases.

"With the variants that are out there we are seeing more of the younger population contracting COVID-19. We are struggling with the younger population getting them vaccinated so we are seeing them come down with severe illness," Cox said.

Cox said it is important that people continue to get vaccinated because we do not yet know about the long term effects of the virus.

"We don't know the long term effects of COVID-19 and who it'll effect severely so it is important to get vaccinated," Cox said.

Boone County has a high vaccination initiation rate at 49.2% with 78,016 vaccinations given out.

The total number of first and second doses administered in Missouri is 4,711,900.