ALEXANDRIA, Va. — As more booster shots begin to roll out, the push continues for some people to get their very first dose of COVID-19 the vaccine.
Of the more than 420,000 students ages 12 to 15 in Virginia, 63% of them had at least one shot of the vaccine by early October.
"That's pretty good, but it's a little behind the rates for adults. When you dig in you find that just like with adults there's a lot of range across the state," said Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam during a recent coronavirus update.
While some areas lag in its community members getting the shot, Alexandria is doing well, especially the teens who live there.
In Alexandria, the youngest population is the most vaccinated. Those ages 12 to 15 are leading the way, with nearly 100% of that group with at least one dose of the vaccine.
"That's just tremendous, I commend them," said Northam.
Alexandria's Mayor, Justin Wilson, says school vaccine clinics and door-to-door vaccine sign ups have contributed to the high number, but says he is not surprised to see this age group leading the way.
"They have borne the brunt of this over the last two years. The things you do as a teen aren't happening, so you be darn sure that when they're presented with a vaccine that's going to help us get past this, they're going to take advantage of it," Wilson said
Though the numbers aren't as high, Fairfax County, the largest school district in the commonwealth, has seen similar eagerness among that same 12-to-15 age group. That's where 83% have received at least one dose of the vaccine. Arlington is not far behind Alexandria, with 93% of young people receiving at least one dose.
But other areas in Virginia, like Stafford and Spotsylvania, aren't there yet. They are at 53% and 43% respectively.
In nearby D.C., those numbers are also lower for the 12 to 15 age group, with 16% receiving at least one dose. Experts say in some of those areas, distrust and access to transportation play roles.
Alexandria 7th grader Caroline Hoover got her shot immediately after her 12th birthday.
"We were ready. We had no doubts about it and we were confident this was going to save our family and the world," said Hoover.
The George Washington Middle School student says she got vaccinated for her grandmother.
"It was really important for me to get the shot so she could be safe. And I wanted to be able to do extra-curricular activities after school and that was really important for me to be a part of," she said.
Mayor Wilson says his constituents are eager to get their children under the age of 12 vaccinated, they are just waiting for that FDA approval.
Click here to see vaccination rates by region in Virginia.