Kids’ low vaccination rates called a ‘gut punch’

Distrust, misinformation and delays because of the holidays and bad weather have combined to produce what authorities say are alarmingly low COVID-19 vaccination rates in U.S. children ages 5 to 11.

As of Tuesday, just over 17 percent were fully vaccinated, more than two months after shots became available to the age group. While Vermont is at 48 percent, California is just shy of 19 percent and Mississippi is at only 5 percent.

Vaccinations among the elementary school set surged after the shots were introduced in the fall, but the numbers have crept up slowly since then, and omicron’s explosive spread appears to have had little effect.