This Is How Many People in Your State Are Missing Their Second Doses

Richard Evans

March 15, 2021, 3:43 PM·4 min read

As more and more people across the country get vaccinated, Americans are breathing a sigh of relief at the prospect of being protected from coronavirus. For maximum efficacy, two of the approved vaccines—Pfizer's and Moderna's—require two separate shots, spaced three or four weeks apart depending on the vaccine. As the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website states, to be considered "fully vaccinated," you must wait two weeks after the second dose of your Pfizer or Moderna vaccine, or two weeks after your single dose of Johnson&Johnson’s vaccine. That means that anyone who only gets the first dose of the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines is significantly more vulnerable to a COVID infection. And as it turns out, a substantial number of people in every state are missing their second doses.

On March 15, the CDC released an early report from their journal Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which documents the vaccination completion status of individuals across the country, including the percentage of people in every state who didn't get their second shot. While the CDC has allowed for slight delays in second doses in extenuating circumstances, not receiving the second shot after 42 days is considered missing the dose. (Note that, per the report, "Texas did not submit individual-dose vaccination data," so there are 49 states included.)

Read on to find out where your state ranks when it comes to the percentage of vaccinated people who are missing their second doses, and for more advice on what is and isn't safe post-shot, see why Dr. Fauci Just Said to Avoid This One Place, Even If You're Vaccinated.

Louisiana

Missed second dose: 0.9 percent

Indiana

Missed second dose: 1.0 percent

Michigan

Missed second dose: 1.2 percent

Mississippi

Missed second dose: 1.3 percent

Wisconsin

Missed second dose: 1.3 percent

Oregon

Missed second dose: 1.6 percent

West Virginia

Missed second dose: 1.7 percent

Maryland

Missed second dose: 1.7 percent

Colorado

Missed second dose: 1.7 percent

Rhode Island

Missed second dose: 2.0 percent

Idaho

Missed second dose: 2.0 percent

Iowa

Missed second dose: 2.0 percent

Wyoming

Missed second dose: 2.3 percent

New Hampshire

Missed second dose: 2.3 percent

Delaware

Missed second dose: 2.5 percent

North Dakota

Missed second dose: 2.5 percent

South Carolina

Missed second dose: 2.5 percent

Missouri

Missed second dose: 2.5 percent

Alaska

Missed second dose: 2.6 percent

Nevada

Missed second dose: 2.6 percent

Connecticut

Missed second dose: 2.6 percent

Oklahoma

Missed second dose: 2.7 percent

Georgia

Missed second dose: 2.7 percent

Ohio

Missed second dose: 2.7 percent

Vermont

Missed second dose: 2.8 percent

And for more CDC reports to keep in mind, The CDC Says Don't Take This After Your Vaccine Without a Doctor's OK.

Alabama

Missed second dose: 2.8 percent

Arizona

Missed second dose: 2.9 percent

New Jersey

Missed second dose: 3.1 percent

Florida

Missed second dose: 3.1 percent

Minnesota

Missed second dose: 3.2 percent

And for more on the COVID vaccine, Dr. Fauci Says Your COVID Vaccine Protects You For This Long.

Washington

Missed second dose: 3.2 percent

Tennessee

Missed second dose: 3.2 percent

Pennsylvania

Missed second dose: 3.2 percent

North Carolina

Missed second dose: 3.3 percent

South Dakota

Missed second dose: 3.5 percent

Montana

Missed second dose: 3.6 percent

And for more vaccine advice to follow, Don't Do This the Night Before Your Vaccine Appointment, Experts Say.

California

Missed second dose: 3.8 percent

Utah

Missed second dose: 4.0 percent

New Mexico

Missed second dose: 4.1 percent

New York

Missed second dose: 4.2 percent

Hawaii

Missed second dose: 4.3 percent

And for more up-to-date COVID news, sign up for our daily newsletter.

Nebraska

Missed second dose: 4.3 percent

Arkansas

Missed second dose: 4.7 percent

Maine

Missed second dose: 4.9 percent

Illinois

Missed second dose: 5.0 percent

Kansas

Missed second dose: 5.4 percent

And for more vaccine information from the country's leading experts, learn why The CDC Says Don't Do This Until 4 Weeks After Getting Vaccinated.

Kentucky

Missed second dose: 5.8 percent

Massachusetts

Missed second dose: 6.6 percent

Virginia

Missed second dose: 7.8 percent

And for more on the future of the pandemic, Dr. Fauci Says COVID Restrictions Will Be "Much More Liberal" by This Date.

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Louisiana

Indiana

Michigan

Mississippi

Wisconsin

Oregon

West Virginia

Maryland

Colorado

Rhode Island

Idaho

Iowa

Wyoming

New Hampshire

Delaware

North Dakota

South Carolina

Missouri

Alaska

Nevada

Connecticut

Oklahoma

Georgia

Ohio

Vermont

Alabama

Arizona

New Jersey

Florida

Minnesota

Washington

Tennessee

Pennsylvania

North Carolina

South Dakota

Montana

California

Utah

New Mexico

New York

Hawaii

Nebraska

Arkansas

Maine

Illinois

Kansas

Kentucky

Massachusetts

Virginia

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