Vaccine deserts: Concerns grow as delta variant of COVID-19 spreads in Philadelphia area

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) – It’s a race against time as authorities and healthcare workers step up efforts to vaccinate more people as the delta variant of COVID-19 spreads in our region.

“You have to meet them where they are, which is in their communities,” said Dr. Ala Stanford of the COVID-19 Black Doctors Consortium.

Dr Stanford said people don’t get vaccinated either because they strongly believe in conspiracy theories or because it just isn’t practical to get the shot.

“It can’t be just a campaign of a few weeks,” Stanford said. “It needs to be persistent and consistent so people know when they’re ready and you’re there.”

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Across the New Jersey Bridge, COVID-19 cases are up 38% from a week ago.

“It should not be underestimated that these numbers continue to be drawn by the unvaccinated,” Gov. Phil Murphy said. “The delta variant, which is now more contagious and more dangerous regardless of age group, is now the dominant strain of the coronavirus.”

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Researchers at the University of Pennsylvania have now identified 13 cases of the delta variant of COVID-19 in the Philadelphia area.

“I think a lot of people are worried about what’s going to happen as we get more and more delta in our area and go into fall and the seasonal effects reverse,” Frederic said. Bushman, professor of microbiology at the University of Pennsylvania. “I think there is a fear that there are vaccine epidemics in deserts and places where there is not a lot of vaccination.”

According to our 6abc data journalism team, the lowest vaccinated zip codes in Philadelphia include areas like West Philadelphia and Logan, Ogontz and Fern Rock.

A spokesperson for the City of Philadelphia Health Department said outreach workers always go door to door educating people about the vaccine, as the city is handing out tickets to the Phillies as part of the campaign. ‘a raffle and that it runs pop-up clinics in different neighborhoods.

The city averages about 24 new cases per day and has administered 44,000 vaccines in the past two weeks.