At least 50% of people in the United states have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine as of Wednesday, May 26. In Arizona, 45.6% of people are vaccinated with 5,798,330 doses administered. At this time, White Arizonans account for 47.5% of people vaccinated, 13.9% are Hispanic or Latino, 16.8% are some other race and 13.2% did not have a race listed.
These numbers come from the Arizona Department of Health Services’ (ADHS) COVID-19 data dashboard.
According to an ADHS press release, the Centers for Disease Control’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report found that 59% of those 18 and older in Navajo, Apache, Gila, Santa Cruz, Graham, La Paz and Greenlee counties have received at least one dose as of April 10. The Navajo Nation occupies large portions of Navajo and Apache counties, and is largely responsible for the vaccinations in those areas.
Pima County sponsored an event called “Vax After Dark”, a 3 hour weekly event that operates out of a mobile unit. Despite doing smaller numbers, many people find the larger scale events intimidating and offering smaller alternatives to those events can reach people who don’t have regular health providers or feel otherwise disconnected form the health system, AZCentral reports.
LISTEN: KJZZ “Rural Vaccinations Lag Nationally, but Not in Arizona”
This week Arizona legislators tried and failed to pass a ban on businesses that would require “vaccine passports” or proof of vaccination in order to engage in business at those entities. The Hill reports that House Bill 2190 would have prohibited those businesses from even asking “whether the person has or has not received a COVID-19 vaccine or a vaccine to address any variant of COVID-19 as a condition for receiving any service, product or admission to an event or venue.” Republican Senator T.J. Shope (Coolidge) sided with democrats to vote the bill down, citing “private property rights”.
Teen Vaccinations
Moderna announced that its COVID-19 vaccine was found to be 100% effective in children ages 12 to 17 two weeks after the second dose. Following clinical trials, no cases of COVID-19 were reported among vaccinated participants, USAToday reports.
Should you have your teen vaccinated? Tucson Medical Center has answers to parent questions and concerns in a FAQ. The question and answer addresses children who shouldn’t get the vaccine, vaccine safety, delaying the vaccine to match other vaccination appointments and antibodies following COVID-19 infection.
Employee Vaccine Requirements
The University of Pennsylvania Health system and RWJ Barnabas Health have now joined Houston Methodist in requiring that employees receive the COVID-19 vaccine, according to MedPage Today. From Penn Medicine CEP Kevin B. Mahoney, MBA:
As an institution grounded in the science and art of healthcare, we believe it is imperative for Penn Medicine to take the lead in requiring employee vaccinations to protect our patients and staff and to set an example to the broader community.
15 of the largest Fortune 500 companies were surveyed about encouraging employees to get the vaccine and while almost all agreed that vaccination of employees was a priority, they wouldn’t mandate them. Modern Healthcare reports that CVS Health and Starbucks are actively encouraging employees to receive the vaccine but won’t mandate them.
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