Alabama has now at least partially vaccinated almost 22 percent of its adult population against COVID-19. And some counties – including several in the black belt – have reached even greater numbers.
The Alabama Department of Public Health released a series of new COVID vaccination numbers on Wednesday, including county vaccination numbers – something that until now has not been public.
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The data shows how many residents in each municipality received at least one dose of any vaccine against coronavirus. Three vaccines have been approved for use in Alabama and two of them – the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines – require two doses a few weeks apart for full protection.
Alabama administered more than 1.3 million doses of vaccine to almost 840,000 people, meaning that the state vaccinated partly or totally 21.9% of its adult population. Current restrictions limit who can get the vaccine in Alabama. None of the vaccines have been approved for use in children, although the Pfizer vaccine has been approved for people over 16 years of age.
Some Black Belt counties – one of Alabama’s poorest and least populated regions – are leading the vaccination rate here. In Wilcox County, where only 8,100 people aged 18 and over live, 29.1% of adults received at least one dose. This is the highest percentage in the state. Perry County, north of Wilcox, is second with 28.9 percent.
Russell County, on the border with Georgia, vaccinated partially or totally the smallest percentage of its adult population, with just 9.8%. It is the only county with less than 10%.
There are almost 30,000 doses missing from the county’s vaccination data, which means that some counties are showing lower vaccination rates than they actually have.
Among Alabama’s largest counties, Jefferson is leading the way in vaccination rates. At least one dose is administered to 23.2 percent of its adult population. The mobile segment is right behind, with 23%, while Madison and Montgomery are with 21.3 and 21.1%, respectively.
Clearer vaccine schedule
The state also released detailed vaccination data by day. ADPH previously reported only weekly vaccination data.
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The data, which runs through March 16, show a steady increase in vaccinations since the launch began last December. It also shows a huge decrease in vaccinations on the weekends.
There was also a notable drop in vaccines administered on February 16, when much of Alabama was blocked by travel warnings due to the winter weather. It is possible that there will be a drop in numbers this week as well, after the state experienced a series of tornadoes and severe storms on Wednesday.
Do you have an idea for a data story about Alabama? Send an email to Ramsey Archibald at [email protected]and follow him on Twitter @RamseyArchibald. Read more Alabama data stories on here.