It has now been 50 weeks since the first shipments of the COVID-19 vaccine were sent out to states, kicking off the largest vaccination campaign in human history. As of November 30, the U.S. has sent 573,238,255 doses of the vaccine across the country — equivalent to 174.6% of the U.S. population.
While the initial distribution of the vaccine took longer than federal projections had indicated, in recent months the U.S. has made great leaps in the worldwide race to administer vaccinations — and some states are faring far better than others. Under the current system, led by the White House COVID-19 Response Team, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention sends states limited shipments of the vaccine as well as funding and tasks them with distributing the vaccine in accordance with relatively loose federal guidelines. The distribution of the vaccine is based on the size of the adult population in every state, which — according to some experts — can create inequities in states where the spread of COVID-19 is worse and a larger share of the population is at risk.
Texas has received a total of 49,037,875 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine as of November 30. Adjusted for population, Texas has received 169,120.1 vaccines per 100,000 residents — in line with the national average of 174,640.2 vaccines per 100,000 Americans and the 24th most of any state.
While Texas has so far received a similar amount of vaccines per capita as the nation as a whole, the state has a need for vaccines commensurate with the rest of the country. As of November 30, there were 14,831.3 confirmed cases of COVID-19 per 100,000 residents in Texas — in line with the national rate of 14,607.0 cases per 100,000 Americans and the 22nd lowest of all 50 states.
While the federal government distributes vaccines to states, it is up to state governments to administer the vaccine — creating variations in both the percentage of vaccines that have been administered and the percentage of the population that has been vaccinated. In Texas, 76.0% of allocated vaccines have been administered to residents, lower than the national average of 80.4% and the 10th smallest share of all states.
The administered vaccines amount to 128.4% of the state population, lower than the 140.4% national figure and the 21st smallest share of all states.
While a majority of Americans remain unvaccinated due to a lack of supply, there are some who have no plans to receive a vaccine at all. According to a survey from the U.S. Census Bureau, 59.2% of U.S. adults 18 and over who have not yet received the vaccine will either probably not or definitely not get a COVID-19 vaccine in the future. In Texas, 53.9% of adults who have not yet received the vaccine report that they will probably not or definitely not get a vaccine in the future, the seventh smallest share of any state. The most common reason cited for not wanting a vaccine was being concerned about possible side effects. Other commonly cited reasons include that they were planning to wait and see if it is safe, not trusting the government, and not trusting COVID-19 vaccines.
To determine the states getting the most and least vaccines from the federal government, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. States were ranked based on the number of vaccines administered as of November 30 per 100,000 residents. Vaccine counts were adjusted for population using one-year data from the Census Bureau’s 2019 American Community Survey. Data on confirmed COVID-19 cases as of November 30 came from various state and local health departments and were adjusted for population using 2019 ACS data. Data on the percentage of adults who probably will not or definitely will not get a COVID-19 vaccine and their reasons for not getting one came from the Census Bureau’s Household Pulse Survey, conducted from August 18, 2021 to August 30, 2021.
These are all the counties in Texas where COVID-19 is slowing (and where it’s still getting worse).
| Rank | State | Population | Vaccines distributed per 100,000 | Vaccines administered as % of pop. | COVID-19 cases per 100,000 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vermont | 623,989 | 208,605 | 179.5% | 7,098 |
| 2 | Maryland | 6,045,680 | 201,246 | 156.4% | 9,662 |
| 3 | Hawaii | 1,415,872 | 198,893 | 147.2% | 5,976 |
| 4 | Maine | 1,344,212 | 198,257 | 166.3% | 8,815 |
| 5 | New Hampshire | 1,359,711 | 194,215 | 157.2% | 11,452 |
| 6 | Massachusetts | 6,892,503 | 193,961 | 168.4% | 13,198 |
| 7 | Rhode Island | 1,059,361 | 192,740 | 164.9% | 17,800 |
| 8 | New Jersey | 8,882,190 | 191,486 | 152.0% | 14,042 |
| 9 | Delaware | 973,764 | 190,999 | 148.6% | 15,678 |
| 10 | Connecticut | 3,565,287 | 190,838 | 168.2% | 11,737 |
| 11 | Oregon | 4,217,737 | 189,294 | 147.0% | 9,187 |
| 12 | West Virginia | 1,792,147 | 188,572 | 94.3% | 16,232 |
| 13 | Pennsylvania | 12,801,989 | 185,729 | 143.0% | 13,482 |
| 14 | Washington | 7,614,893 | 183,543 | 149.4% | 10,087 |
| 15 | New York | 19,453,561 | 183,344 | 153.8% | 13,973 |
| 16 | Virginia | 8,535,519 | 183,100 | 153.5% | 11,304 |
| 17 | Florida | 21,477,737 | 179,530 | 144.1% | 17,180 |
| 18 | California | 39,512,223 | 178,754 | 150.8% | 12,748 |
| 19 | Colorado | 5,758,736 | 176,280 | 149.6% | 14,272 |
| 20 | Minnesota | 5,639,632 | 174,808 | 146.3% | 15,874 |
| 21 | Alaska | 731,545 | 173,931 | 130.9% | 19,779 |
| 22 | New Mexico | 2,096,829 | 172,589 | 149.1% | 14,693 |
| 23 | Illinois | 12,671,821 | 169,607 | 141.4% | 14,086 |
| 24 | Texas | 28,995,881 | 169,120 | 128.4% | 14,831 |
| 25 | North Carolina | 10,488,084 | 168,872 | 129.3% | 14,532 |
| 26 | South Dakota | 884,659 | 168,372 | 130.0% | 18,571 |
| 27 | Iowa | 3,155,070 | 167,782 | 133.1% | 16,572 |
| 28 | Michigan | 9,986,857 | 164,955 | 127.7% | 14,491 |
| 29 | Kansas | 2,913,314 | 164,658 | 127.0% | 15,829 |
| 30 | Georgia | 10,617,423 | 163,358 | 116.5% | 15,630 |
| 31 | Nebraska | 1,934,408 | 162,082 | 134.3% | 15,917 |
| 32 | South Carolina | 5,148,714 | 161,511 | 120.3% | 17,770 |
| 33 | Arizona | 7,278,717 | 161,152 | 131.8% | 17,377 |
| 34 | Arkansas | 3,017,804 | 160,947 | 116.8% | 17,482 |
| 35 | Alabama | 4,903,185 | 159,785 | 106.9% | 17,240 |
| 36 | Wisconsin | 5,822,434 | 159,585 | 140.7% | 16,630 |
| 37 | Kentucky | 4,467,673 | 157,810 | 121.2% | 17,474 |
| 38 | Ohio | 11,689,100 | 155,995 | 123.4% | 14,353 |
| 39 | Utah | 3,205,958 | 155,403 | 125.3% | 18,470 |
| 40 | Nevada | 3,080,156 | 155,007 | 128.7% | 15,187 |
| 41 | Idaho | 1,787,065 | 154,035 | 105.4% | 17,110 |
| 42 | Montana | 1,068,778 | 153,980 | 123.9% | 17,784 |
| 43 | Oklahoma | 3,956,971 | 152,118 | 123.3% | 16,759 |
| 44 | Missouri | 6,137,428 | 151,388 | 120.6% | 14,745 |
| 45 | North Dakota | 762,062 | 150,608 | 117.6% | 21,167 |
| 46 | Indiana | 6,732,219 | 150,241 | 115.2% | 16,109 |
| 47 | Tennessee | 6,829,174 | 150,097 | 119.7% | 19,181 |
| 48 | Mississippi | 2,976,149 | 149,771 | 106.8% | 17,225 |
| 49 | Louisiana | 4,648,794 | 143,398 | 112.2% | 16,543 |
| 50 | Wyoming | 578,759 | 140,588 | 109.3% | 19,052 |
Essential Tips for Investing: Sponsored
A financial advisor can help you understand the advantages and disadvantages of investment properties. Finding a qualified financial advisor doesn’t have to be hard. SmartAsset’s free tool matches you with up to three financial advisors who serve your area, and you can interview your advisor matches at no cost to decide which one is right for you. If you’re ready to find an advisor who can help you achieve your financial goals, get started now.
Investing in real estate can diversify your portfolio. But expanding your horizons may add additional costs. If you’re an investor looking to minimize expenses, consider checking out online brokerages. They often offer low investment fees, helping you maximize your profit.
Thank you for reading! Have some feedback for us?
Contact the 24/7 Wall St. editorial team.
Editors' Picks
