Although most states and cities are still vaccinating high-priority groups of people, a county in Arizona is allowing any resident over the age of 18 to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.
Gila County, which is located east of Phoenix, entered Phase 2 of its vaccine prioritization at the end of last month, opening eligibility for the general population.
Part of the decision to open vaccine eligibility is because Gila County has one of the lowest percentages of COVID-19 vaccine doses used in Arizona. Michael O’Driscoll, county director for Public Health and Emergency Management, told CBS affiliate KPHO-TV that they received permission from the state last week to offer the vaccine at a drive-thru clinic last weekend.
“Before that, we were struggling to find enough people to make appointments, so the state gave me permission to offer it to any resident aged 18 or over,” he said.
About 56,000 people reside in the county. According to the Arizona Department of Health Services, more than 13,000 people – or nearly a quarter of residents – received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
“We did a survey before to get an idea of how many people in Gila County would consider getting the vaccine, and our survey showed that about 50-60% of residents would choose to get the vaccine, if available,” said O’Driscoll. .
Based on the data, more than 5,600 people under the age of 65 received the vaccine, including 73 people under the age of 20.
One of the youngest recipients, Jacob Jost, 18, told KPHO-TV that he was “excited” to take the photo.
“I have a nephew, a little baby, so having the vaccine brings peace of mind to that,” said Jost.
KPHO-TV