Ten months after the first COVID-19 vaccines were administered in Arizona, half of the state’s population is fully vaccinated. Medical experts believe a large majority of the population will need to be immunized to bring the virus under control.
Arizona’s vaccination rate remains below the national average. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report about 54% of all Americans are fully immunized. Vaccination rates are highest among older adults. 60% of Arizonans over age 18 and 65% of Americans over 18 are fully vaccinated. Among those 65 and older, 77% are fully vaccinated in Arizona and 82% are fully vaccinated nationwide.
In Arizona and nationwide, vaccinations have slowed from a peak in spring. In late March, Arizona was administering an average of more than 64,000 doses per day. Recently, the state has been reporting closer to 10,000 doses per day. But Dr. Rebecca Sunenshine with Maricopa County Public Health told KJZZ’s “The Show” polling suggests there is still demand for vaccines.
“There’s probably about 13% or 14% of the population that would consider getting vaccinated or is willing to get vaccinated possibly, but has not yet," Sunenshine said, citing data from the Kaiser Family Foundation. "That's really what we're hoping to add by adding any additional motivation for people to get vaccinated."
Sunenshine believes the Biden administration's recent plan to require vaccinations for many U.S. workers could boost vaccination rates.
No vaccine is approved yet in the U.S. for children under 12, and recent outbreaks have been driven by children and younger adults. Sunenshine said getting kids vaccinated once they’re eligible will be key to containing the virus.
