For the first time on Friday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health released detailed data that track the progress of the COVID-19 vaccination effort in more than 340 neighborhoods across the county.
So far, 12% of the county’s 10 million residents have been vaccinated, with priority for health professionals, residents of long-term care facilities and people aged 65 and over.
A more detailed analysis of the map shows that these numbers can vary widely from one place to another.
In some neighborhoods in the wealthy Westside, such as Beverly Hills, 25% of residents have already received their first dose of the double vaccine. In contrast, in southern Los Angeles and neighboring cities like Compton, where income is lower and the majority of residents are Latin, only 5% of residents have been vaccinated.
County officials say these disparities are due to longstanding problems with access to health, education and poverty, which government efforts have so far failed to overcome.
The areas with the highest number of elderly Latinos and blacks are also among the most affected by the coronavirus. A comparison of the new vaccination maps against the spread of the virus shows that areas with the highest case rates have some of the lowest vaccination rates.
“These inequalities are unacceptable and require renewed efforts to ensure access to vaccines for people in the most affected communities,” said Barbara Ferrer, head of the county’s public health agency.
The most affected areas have lower vaccination rates
At the Lancaster, 7% of the total population was vaccinated with at least one dose.
At the South Los Angeles, only 1 in 24 people are vaccinated, while 1 in 6 people tested positive for COVID-19. This area tends to be younger, with lower income and has a predominantly Latin and black population.
The most affected areas have lower vaccination rates
At the Lancaster, only 7% of the total population was vaccinated with at least one dose.
At the South Los Angeles, only 1 in 24 people are vaccinated, while 1 in 6 people tested positive for COVID-19. This area tends to be younger, with lower income and has a predominantly Latin and black population.
The most affected areas have lower vaccination rates
At the Lancaster, only 7% of the total population was vaccinated with at least one dose.
At the South Los Angeles, only 1 in 24 people are vaccinated, while 1 in 6 people tested positive for COVID-19. This area tends to be younger, with lower income and has a predominantly Latin and black population.
The most affected areas have lower vaccination rates
At the Lancaster, only 7% of the total population was vaccinated with at least one dose.
At the South Los Angeles, only 1 in 24 people are vaccinated, while 1 in 6 people tested positive for COVID-19. This area tends to be younger, with lower income and has a predominantly Latin and black population.
In Beverlywood, which is south of Beverly Hills, 17% of the population is vaccinated, despite having a case rate well below the county average. This wealthy neighborhood with a white majority population has a comparable number of elderly people aged 65 and over to Commerce, a mostly Latin, low-income neighborhood in southeastern Los Angeles.
In trade, vaccination rates are half that of Beverlywood, despite having more than double the number of cases per person.
To address inequalities, county officials say they plan to send more community workers to the field and add vaccination sites in underserved areas. On Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti promised to expand the fleet of mobile vaccination clinics and send them to Pico Union, Chinatown, Vermont Square and other areas.
The new figures released on Friday also included a first analysis of the ages of people vaccinated to date. Of the 1.1 million first doses administered until February 14, just over half went to people over 65. Forty-seven percent have moved to under 65, who qualify due to their profession or have acquired vaccines by other means.
County officials were unable to provide data for all ethnic groups, due to failures in their data collection efforts. No estimates were provided for elderly people native to Hawaii and the Pacific Islands. Some vaccination numbers were also not available for the elderly who identified themselves as multiracial.
Authorities were also unable to determine where residents were vaccinated in the hundreds of locations across the county, including pharmacies, hospitals and mass vaccination sites, such as Dodger Stadium.
County officials have promised to release new figures weekly.