The Atlantic
Nov. 18, 2021
Rural America’s false sense of security
People in rural American say things are back to normal, even though rural America is precisely where the COVID-19 pandemic is worst. According to a recent Atlantic/Leger poll, compared with people in urban or suburban areas, people in rural areas are most likely to feel like things are "back to normal" where they live – 45% thought so, compared with 30% of urbanites and 36 percent of suburbanites. In some rural places, vaccination rates might be low not because people are hesitant but because pharmacies are scarce in their area, or residents had to move for work. "A person might be in one place and get a vaccination, and then 100 miles away working a different area when it came due for their second shot," said Dr. Daniel Derksen, associate vice president for health equity, outreach and interprofessional activities at University of Arizona Health Sciences..