Very worrisome : LA County sees drop in demand for COVID vaccines
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LOS ANGELES - In a trend described as very worrisome, the number of people getting their first COVID-19 vaccination at Los Angeles County sites dropped significantly over the past week, marking the first such drop and leading to more calls today for people get the shots and propel the county toward a return to normalcy.
County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer didn t have exact number of how many appointments went unfilled over the past week, but said county-operated vaccination sites saw sharp drops in people coming in for their first dose. That means the county, for the first time, will likely fall short of its goal of administering 95% of the doses it receives within one week.
COVID-19 Vaccine Appointments Plummet In LA, Worrying The Experts
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2021-04-30 06:35:36 GMT2021-04-30 14:35:36(Beijing Time) Xinhua English
LOS ANGELES, April 29 (Xinhua) Los Angeles County is ready to further reopen businesses next week, said the county s public health department in a news release Thursday.
The county is on track to move into the least restrictive yellow COVID-19 tier of California s four-tier, color-coded system amid dropping cases and vaccine eligibility expansion.
Moving into the yellow tier allows for increases in capacity in many sectors, such as amusement parks, fairs, gyms, museums, zoos, and aquariums, according to the department.
Public health officials said that a modified Health Officer Order will go into effect on next Thursday.
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Appointments for the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine have decreased by about 50% in Los Angeles County, alarming public health officials who call it a worrisome trend that reflects the slowdown in vaccination rates across the state and country.
The slowing demand probably means that, for the first time, the county will not reach its goal of administering 95% of its weekly supply, officials said. The revelation follows the announcement from officials earlier this week that about 18% of residents have missed their second-dose appointments.
“I do know that across the county this past week we saw much fewer people coming in to get vaccinated. For the first time ever, we’ve had appointments at many vaccination sites that have not been filled,” said L.A. County Public Health Director Barbara Ferrer during a news briefing Thursday.
According to the most recent statistics, more than 7.2 million doses of vaccine have been administered in the county, including more than 4.5 million first doses and more than 2.6 million second doses. Ferrer also pointed to notable improvements in vaccination rates among Latino and Black communities, which have been lagging behind in the inoculation effort despite having the highest case rates.
But she also pointed to lagging vaccination rates in multiple communities, including the Antelope Valley, Lancaster, Palmdale, South Los Angeles and East Los Angeles.
She tried to offer encouragement for people to vaccinated, pointing out that fully vaccinated people will inevitably have more ability to partake in and fully enjoy events outside their home.
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