More than 4 million Arizonans over the age of 12 have now received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, while more than 3.5 million are fully vaccinated, according to a Saturday news release from the Arizona Department of Health Services (ADHS).
“Arizonans are stepping up and doing their part to put this pandemic behind us,” Don Herrington, ADHS interim director, said in a statement. “This battle is not over but we’re clearly headed in the right direction.”
The news release said that 7,287,508 doses of COVID-19 vaccine were administered to 4,005,841 people in Arizona, including 3,517,935 who are fully vaccinated as of Saturday morning. More than 55% of all Arizonans have received at least one dose of the vaccine. As of Sunday, 52% of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated.
According to an Arizona Public Opinion Pulse (AZPOP) survey released by OH Predictive Insights on July 21, there was no statistically meaningful change in July from the May percentage of Arizonans unwilling to take the COVID-19 vaccine, 21%. The number who had already taken the vaccine increased, OHPI said, demonstrating that though more willing Arizonans were vaccinated, the hesitations of the unwilling remain firm.
However, ADHS said that vaccination rates have increased in the Grand Canyon State since mid-July. During the week of Aug. 15, 104,000 individuals were vaccinated, marking the first time since the week of June 13 that more than 100,000 people received the vaccine in Arizona.
Nearly all cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in Arizona are among the unvaccinated, the ADHS reported. There were 16,910 total reported cases in the month of May, more than 95% of which accounted for unvaccinated individuals. Last week, the state passed 1 million COVID-19 infections.
Former ADHS Director Dr. Cara Christ said that further COVID-19 cases in Arizona are preventable.
“All this points to a fundamental truth: Vaccines are demonstrating their effectiveness at preventing serious cases and deaths from COVID-19 and providing the strongest possible argument for the benefits of vaccination,” she said.
Elizabeth Troutman | The Center Square contributor
