Covid19 Vaccine Acceptance and Deprivation in US Counties

Abstract: This report explores the central question of how socioeconomic status affects Covid19 vaccination rates in the United States, using existing open-source data. In general, a negative correlation exists between Area Deprivation Index (ADI) of a county and first dose, primary series and booster vaccination rates. Higher area deprivation correlated with polled vaccine hesitancy and lower search interest in vaccine interest, intention to vaccinate or concern about safety of vaccination. Positive correlations between ADI and certain mental health search trends were noted. No clear correlation between deprivation index and accessibility to vaccination sites were observed. In a small data sample, county level housing assistance policies and public information campaigns were noted to positively influence vaccine follow through rates. Finally, random forest, linear regression and KNN models were explored to validate the use of the above features for vaccine acceptance prediction.