Arizona ranks third nationally for vaccinating vulnerable populations
Phoenix AZ (March 17 2021) – A new report by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) ranks Arizona among the best states in the nation for getting the COVID-19 vaccine to vulnerable communities.
The CDC report out today found that Arizona had the third-highest vaccination coverage for high-vulnerability counties as determined by the Social Vulnerability Index (SVI), a nationally accepted framework. The index uses 15 indicators, including metrics for socioeconomic status, age and disability status, minority status and language, and housing type and transportation access, to assess the social vulnerability of counties in the U.S.
Arizona is one of only two states that had greater COVID-19 vaccination coverage in its counties with high social vulnerability than its counties with low social vulnerability across all metrics, according to the index. In all other states, COVID-19 vaccination coverage was lower in their counties with high social vulnerability compared to their counties with low social vulnerability.
“This finding by the CDC demonstrates the value of the hard work by the Arizona Department of Health Services, counties, and healthcare workers to distribute Arizona’s limited supply of COVID-19 vaccine not only rapidly but equitably,” said Governor Doug Ducey. “From strategic use of planning tools to direct outreach in English and Spanish to closely monitoring data, Arizona has laid a strong foundation to break down barriers to the COVID-19 vaccine among our most vulnerable residents. We will continue to build on this success in the weeks and months ahead.”
“COVID-19 has had a more significant impact among racial and ethnic minority groups as well as those who are socially and economically disadvantaged,” said Dr. Cara Christ, director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. “It’s gratifying to see Arizona’s prominent mention and high national ranking in the CDC’s report, but we know there is much more work ahead with 6 million Arizonans who still need to be vaccinated.”
As of this morning, 2,646,874 doses of COVID-19 vaccine had been administered to 1,663,876 individuals in Arizona, including 1,033,008 who have been fully vaccinated.
In order to reach more high risk Arizonans and get them vaccinated, ADHS and partners recently conducted a pilot program in ZIP code 85009, just west of downtown Phoenix. This highly targeted campaign, focusing on an area with higher COVID-19 cases and lower vaccination rates than many others, is part of a multi-pronged effort through which ADHS is engaging underserved populations directly and through partners including county health departments.
This targeted outreach in ZIP code 85009 included several telephone town halls in English and Spanish, targeted use of social media in English and Spanish, and hundreds of yard signs promoting vaccination and wearing masks. Interaction with community leaders has also led to a collaboration that got more than 400 of the area’s residents 65 and older to vaccination appointments by actively registering and providing transportation to and from the site.
Next up is a plan to expand this approach into underserved neighborhoods in areas of southwest and south Phoenix and Yuma County while looking to reach even more of Arizona.
Local health departments have been working to reach communities impacted by COVID-19 and increase vaccine uptake. For example, Maricopa County Department of Public Health is coordinating with community organizations to put community-based vaccine sites directly in high-risk communities. The Pima County Health Department, partnering with local community based organizations and faith-based leaders, has been providing mobile vaccination opportunities to those most in need. Yuma County Public Health Services District has been administering COVID-19 vaccine to vulnerable communities through community based pop-up vaccination clinics in partnership with cities and providing employer-based vaccination opportunities for agricultural companies.
ADHS offers a bilingual COVID-19 Vaccine Navigation Help Desk at 844.542.8201 for those needing extra assistance with registration and answers to questions. When about 50,000 appointments were made available on Tuesday, March 2, at State Farm Stadium and Phoenix Municipal Stadium, the help desk handled 1,562 calls from Spanish speakers.
The agency continues to add information and resources in Spanish, including the online scheduling tool at podvaccine.azdhs.gov.
Information about all vaccination sites across Arizona can be found at azhealth.gov/findvaccine. Those without computer access or needing extra help registering can call 844.542.8201 to be connected with someone who can assist. Note: You can use the patient portal at podvaccine.azdhs.gov to make an appointment for a relative in a prioritized group.
To learn more about COVID-19 vaccines and vaccination, please visit azdhs.gov/COVID19Vaccines.
The CDC report on county-level COVID-19 vaccination coverage and social vulnerability is in the March 17 edition of the agency’s Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report, which can be reviewed here.
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6 Comments
I am still shocked at how us here in Sedona have to hunt for the Vaccine… Still NOthing in Town…
WE drive 20 + miles to Cottonwood…. or 100 Mile round trip to
Prescott… OR… 36 to Flag..
The reservations are hard to get.. too…
What about the old people who do not drive??
thanks to VV care givers they may be giving the shots to folks who are home bound…Maybe our drug stores or Safeway soon.. but so far it is a big stall…… Help please lets get something going in Sedona.. For all ages… Teachers and workers… ONwards…. LL
Safeway has started Pfizer vaccinations. Go to safeway.com and follow the links. Good luck!
This whole COVID vaxx thing is a travesty. Take the vaxx and Biden will tell you want you can and can not do. We are led to believe that there’s a shortage of the vaxx, but there isn’t. It’s a lie.
I am at a loss why anyone would line up for this poison. Why would anyone opt for experimental gene therapy when they could take HCQ/Zinc/Azithromycin (or Doxycycline)? The former is unproven with no knowledge of long-term effects & the latter (HCQ) has been around for 60+ yrs. with a proven safety record. The former does not provide immunity or prevent transmission but will keep you from developing more serious symptoms, while the latter, if taken within 5-days of developing symptoms, will also keep you from developing more serious symptoms if you become infected. The unproven “vaccines” will most likely lead to additional “vaccines” for variants & annual booster shots. Seriously, think long & hard before you line-up for something that is experimental at best & potentially dangerous, both in the short term & long-term.
Great podcast here from long-time vaccine researcher Dr. Sherri Tenpenny. Among other things, she says elders get MUCH sicker after receiving the vaccine and being re-exposed to the CV due to ADE, antibody-dependent enhancement. This and other reasons vaccine research was halted in the past for UR viruses. .
Why would anyone trust WHO about this “vaccine”? They have an agenda to promote while pushing this dangerous injection. What part of “experimental” do people not understand?! They have no idea of what the long-term effects are. People lining up to take it are the guinea pigs.
I’m an RN and yes, at first, like everyone else I was all about a mask. social distancing, washing hands and vaccine… But as time went on, I noticed that we never got “overwhelmed” at our facility. I started paying attention to the numbers in our country, learned about hydroxychloroquine, and did my own research. This virus was NOTHING like we thought. I stopped wearing my mask except in surgery suite and I will not be getting the COVID vaccine (and neither will my family).
I tell my patients to eat well, get plenty of sleep, exercise and fresh air. Take vitamin supplements especially D and C. Supporting your immune system is the best thing you can do to fight against this and all other viruses.
Right now, we have far more patients with lung issues and pneumonia from wearing the masks and beds are being filled with those who have recently taken the COVID vaccine.
Those that line up for the shot should really look into the side effects. A healthy young mother recently died after the shot. A healthy ex-fighter died after the shot. And sorry to say, every time I read an obituary I wonder when and what shot they received.
People are hard to convince because the fear is out there. I’ve had to put my foot down about the mask and “suggested” vaccine and I wish more professionals would. We only have to look to Israel to see what is coming: vaccine passports, bracelet tracking devices, no travel unless they have the shot. (Israel has groups now suing the government to stop what is happening there.)
Folks, masks are not effective against the virus – it’s all theatre. The shots are experimental and do nothing to keep you from getting the disease – the vaccine just masks the symptoms and you can still spread it and there’s a good chance you will experience side effects including death. Due your own due diligence. Stay healthy. Turn off the TV and get outside.
The ONLY reason vaccines are being pushed is due to the money. It’s not about health, not about law, it’s about money.
https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20210318/arizona-receives-19m-provide-covid-19-vaccines
Spookily, C. S. Lewis wrote this nearly 70 years ago but could have been written today:
One young devil asked the old man: “How did you manage to bring so many souls to hell?”
The old devil answered: “I instilled fear in them!”
Answers the youngster: “Great job! And what were they afraid of? Wars? Hunger?”
Answers the man: “No, they were afraid of the disease!”
For this youngster: “Does this mean they didn’t get sick? Are they not dead? There was no rescue for them?”
The old man answered: “But no … they got sick, died, and the rescue was there.”
The young devil, surprised, answered: “Then I don’t understand?”
The old man answered: “You know they believed the only thing they have to keep at any cost is their lives. They stopped hugging, greeting each other. They’ve moved away from each other. They gave up all social contacts and everything that was human! Later they ran out of money, lost their jobs, but that was their choice because they were afraid for their lives, that’s why they quit their jobs without even having bread.
“They believed blindly everything they heard and read in the papers. They gave up their freedoms, they didn’t leave their own homes literally anywhere. They stopped visiting family and friends. The world turned into such a concentration camp, without forcing them into captivity. They accepted everything! Just to live at least one more miserable day … And so living, they died every day! And that’s how it was very easy for me to take their miserable souls to hell …”
BIDEN said “people are dying that have never died before” …and ive never died before ?
If masks were so wonderful, this virus would be gone by now. We’ve been wearing them for almost a year.
I would also say not wearing a mask save lives because I have yet to put a mask on in over a year and I am still here. If you’re scared, wear a mask. If you are worried about covid, stay home. My freedom doesn’t end where your fear starts.
“Those who would give up essential Liberty, to purchase a little temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety.” -Ben Franklin
So we can read both praise and opposition about vaccinating to prevent a COVID infection.
That conforms with the first amendment but hardly the facts and basic intelligence.
It is amazing how many really idiotic people live here and find vaccinating a pharma hoax or whatever. Let them be and don’t disturb them.The sooner they fall ill with the virus and clam up the less we’ll be reading barnyard manure in the media.
Keep masking, stay apart and out of crowds and if you have not vaccinated yet come to your senses and get the shot. Forget the hokey cures being hawked – none work.
john