Study: N.H. vaccine rates linked to ideology, rural access
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Jul. 25—Political ideology and public access are the biggest reasons for wide variations in COVID-19 vaccination rates from town to town in New Hampshire, according to a coalition of environmental consultants.
The New Hampshire Science and Public Health group analyzed vaccination rates supplied by the state and compared them to the Democratic Performance Index, which uses 2020 presidential preference in part as a proxy for political ideology.
Many national observers have noted a strong correlation between vaccine resistance and support for former President Donald Trump.
A recent University of New Hampshire Survey Center poll found those who said they voted for Trump were five times more likely to not get vaccinated than supporters of President Joe Biden.
But Mindi Messmer of Rye, a co-founder of the health group, said that isn't the only factor.
"There's no doubt political influence is playing a part, but there's more to this," said Messmer, a former state representative and 2016 Democratic candidate for Congress in the 1st District.
"Access to getting the vaccine, especially in rural areas, has to be a factor as well. You can't dismiss the reality that there are very blue towns with low vaccination rates and very red towns with pretty high ones."
The group produced its own map with local vaccination rates as provided by the Department of Health and Human Services.
The state has declined to provide vaccine numbers for towns with fewer than 100 people because, officials say, those rates would not be statistically significant.
Dr. Benjamin Chan, the state's epidemiologist, said New Hampshire will soon release updated figures.
Eight towns below 30%
Fewer than 30% of the residents in eight New Hampshire cities and towns have been vaccinated, and the rate is between 30% and 40% in 33 cities and towns.
Those below 40% include Mason, New Ipswich, Goffstown, Pittsfield, Northfield, Middleton, Farmington, Rindge and Winchester.
Gov. Chris Sununu resists the idea that lower vaccination rates in some areas has anything to do with access. He said the vaccine is offered at more than 500 places across the state.
"To me, it's just statistics. When you have a range of 220 cities and towns, some are going to be high and some are going to be low. If you had the same vaccination rate in all those communities, that would be weird," Sununu said.
"You are just going to have different variables that come into play."
Messmer said she disagreed with Sununu while acknowledging political ideology alone can't explain the numbers.
For example, Durham and Eaton had very similar rates of support for Biden in the Democratic Performance Index.
But the vaccination rate in Durham was 31.7% and 58% in Eaton.
"The vaccination rate in Eaton is similar to the vaccination rates in low DPI towns like Benton, Unity, Groton and Dalton," Messmer said.
"These towns are likely influenced by DPI, but also lack of access to vaccines since they are in more remote, rural areas of the state."
Conversely, some politically moderate towns of varying population densities had relatively high vaccination rates, including Newington, Hebron, Center Harbor, Hale's Location and Hooksett.
Response to the numbers
Nora Traviss, a professor at Keene State College and co-founder of the group, urged the state to promote more vaccine outreach to small towns.
"Efforts should immediately be expanded in those rural pocket areas where vaccination rates are low," Traviss said.
"Availability of vaccinations in medical offices would also promote conversations between health care providers and patients and would likely improve vaccination rates."
The group also mapped the number of females living in each town because some analysts say other demographics, such as sex and family income, should be considered.
Messmer noted New Hampshire's only mass vaccine site was held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon for three weekends.
State officials weren't able to break down the hometowns of those who went to the NASCAR racetrack to get a shot, she said.
"Those speedway events drew by far the biggest crowds, and I suspect those who went there likely boosted the vaccine rates in politically red towns," Messmer said.
