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Philadelphia’s immediate suburban jurisdictions have benefited the most from the vaccine honor policy, but data shows more than 10,000 vaccines have also been distributed to residents with legal residences scattered across a large area of the country.
Hundreds of New Yorkers have been vaccinated at clinics across the city, as have dozens in the Bay Area. A vaccinee has listed a residence in Big Horn County, Montana. Another listed Juneau, Alaska. Another, the island of Hawaii.
Waiting for a vaccine in North Philadelphia
The pandemic, meanwhile, has hit areas of Philadelphia like Bridesburg and parts of north and southwest Philly, where vaccination rates have been low.
Darryl Rodgers, 64, lives in North Philadelphia in one of the city’s least vaccinated zip codes, 19132. Rodgers was anxious to get the vaccine because he suffers from chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease and asthma, which makes it high – risk of COVID-19. He was able to schedule a shot at his neighborhood Walgreens, but in the days leading up to his date, he said the pharmacy called him to cancel because he was under 75. Rodgers said he made it clear he had underlying conditions that made him eligible.
“They rejected me,” he said.
Philadelphia recently designated pharmacies as the vaccination centers of choice for people over 75 in an effort to ensure priority for the elderly and eliminate line jumpers who are not yet eligible, Farley said. The trade-off is that those, like Rodgers, with other high-risk conditions or in high-need areas are forced to find another place to go.
Since Philadelphia received its first vaccine allowance in December, white residents have received a disproportionate proportion of doses, and wealthier parts of the city – such as Center City or Chestnut Hill – have typically seen the lowest vaccination rates. higher. About 20% of the city’s doses went to blacks, who make up over 40% of the city’s residents. Less than 10% respectively went to people who identify as Asian, Hispanic or of another racial or ethnic identity. The Department of Health did not provide a racial breakdown of non-residents who received the vaccine.
The city is working to reach people living in under-immunized zip codes through its own neighborhood clinics, which opened earlier this week. Farley also said the city used its postcode card to oversample residents in under-vaccinated postcodes when it invited people to future events. The Black Doctors COVID-19 consortium, which runs vaccination clinics in churches and at Temple University’s Liacouras Center, is also prioritizing people with under-represented zip codes.
Earlier this month, Rodgers received the sad news of a fourth high-risk disease: a diagnosis of early-stage cancer. Soon after, his doctor called him to schedule his first dose of the vaccine. Still, Rodgers felt he shouldn’t have been diagnosed with cancer to get her a dose.
“We know people of color have been at a disadvantage for a very long time, this is just another case,” said Rodgers, who is African American. “I don’t know if that will ever change.”
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