A total of 4,926,816 doses of vaccine have been administered to Arizona residents, and 2,926,506 have received at least one dose. This means that 40% of the Arizona population has received at least one dose. Nationwide, 43% of the population has been vaccinated.
This information comes from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention COVID-19 Vaccine Data Tracker.
Demand for vaccines is down across the state as 60,000 appointments for the Pfizer vaccine were still available at state-funded sites. Of the appointments made available last Friday, only 14,000 of them were filled by Monday, according to an Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS) press release. From ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ:
COVID-19 vaccines are safe, highly effective, free, and available ‒ often on the same day ‒ at state vaccination sites serving the most-populous areas of the state. We need more Arizonans to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated to protect themselves, their families, and the community.
On Tuesday, ADHS released a statement announcing that appointments are recommended but no longer required in an attempt to remove barriers to vaccination. From Dr. Christ:
The appointment numbers clearly suggest that we’ve accommodated a large share of Arizonans who are able to schedule appointments well in advance. State-run sites continue to vaccinate many thousands every day, and there is now room for those who simply want to walk in at their convenience.
ADHS also advised healthcare providers to resume use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine following the recommendation by the CDC and Food and Drug Administration to lift the 11 day pause, according to US News.
The reason for the pause was reports of six instances of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, a condition that is associated with not only Johnson & Johnsons’s vaccine but also AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Moderna, according to the European Medicines Agency. MedPage Today explains what happens when the unusual blood clots occur, and why they require special care following diagnosis.
The American Medical Association attempted to do some damage control for the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, publishing “What Doctors Wish Patients Knew About the Johnson & Johnson Vaccine” on Tuesday. The article covers safety concerns among patients and encourages the public to not compare the efficacy of the vaccines, but rather to understand that they all have value in pursuit of herd immunity.
Dr. Christ told AZCentral that ADHS is holding “intensive community outreach efforts” in underserved communities like South Phoenix. Last Wednesday, Dr. Christ and other southwest Phoenix community leaders held an over-the-phone town hall that was attended by thousands of residents in Phoenix City Council districts 7 and 8, for example.
The Tucson Sentinel reports that in Maricopa County, Latino residents have some of the lowest rates of vaccination. Latinos only account for 9% of the 1.4 million people who have received at least one dose of vaccine in the county according to the Maricopa Public Health Department.
The Navajo Nation is leading the country in COVID-19 vaccination efforts, according to 12 News. 95,000 residents have now been fully vaccinated, accounting for 50% of all Navajo Nation adults.
Arizona officials moved the the State Farm Stadium vaccination site indoors as Arizona’s summer heats up. The operations are now inside of the Gila River Arena next door to the stadium, according to AZFamily, and will be open daily from 7am to 7pm.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.