Congress has cut federal funding for public media — a $3.4 million loss for LAist. We count on readers like you to protect our nonprofit newsroom. Become a monthly member and sustain local journalism.
A Look At Where Vaccinations Stand In LA County — And the Problem With Line Cutters
Healthcare workers get vaccinated for COVID-19 at the Martin Luther King Jr Community Hospital. (Chava Sanchez/LAist)
()
Health officials say nearly 11% of people in Los Angeles County over the age of 16 have received at least one dose of a COVID-19 vaccine. But far fewer are fully vaccinated at this point — only about 2.6% of the county's population have gotten both shots.
That all adds up to a little over one million doses administered so far. Even though the county received a shipment of nearly 185,000 doses this week — one of its largest allotments from the federal government to date — nearly all vaccination appointments next week will be for people eligible for their second shot.
(Courtesy L.A. County Public Health)
()
But officials are concerned that some people are taking advantage of a loophole in the appointment system to cut in line. Dr. Paul Simon is the chief science officer for the L.A. County Public Health Department. He says people who get their first shot at a county site will get an email to reserve a spot for their second dose - but some people are sharing that link with others, who turn around and try to use it to book an appointment for themselves.
Support for LAist comes from
"In some cases, it was done very deliberately. I think you could characterize it as cheating, and in other cases I think people just weren't necessarily viewing it that way - they were just looking at every opportunity to get vaccinated."
WE'RE HERE TO HELP
Our news is free on LAist. To make sure you get our coverage: Sign up for our daily newsletters. To support our non-profit public service journalism: Donate Now.
As Editor-in-Chief of our newsroom, I’m extremely proud of the work our top-notch journalists are doing here at LAist. We’re doing more hard-hitting watchdog journalism than ever before — powerful reporting on the economy, elections, climate and the homelessness crisis that is making a difference in your lives. At the same time, it’s never been more difficult to maintain a paywall-free, independent news source that informs, inspires, and engages everyone.
Simply put, we cannot do this essential work without your help. Federal funding for public media has been clawed back by Congress and that means LAist has lost $3.4 million in federal funding over the next two years. So we’re asking for your help. LAist has been there for you and we’re asking you to be here for us.
We rely on donations from readers like you to stay independent, which keeps our nonprofit newsroom strong and accountable to you.
No matter where you stand on the political spectrum, press freedom is at the core of keeping our nation free and fair. And as the landscape of free press changes, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust, but the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news from our community.
Please take action today to support your trusted source for local news with a donation that makes sense for your budget.
Thank you for your generous support and believing in independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The critical findings are part of long-awaited after-action report was released Thursday. It contains recommendations for increasing emergency staffing and updating old systems. -
Diving has changed, mountain biking has been added. Here's where to watch the Olympics in person in 2028. -
'A Great Day in the Stoke' is a free, daylong event in Orange County billed as 'the largest gathering of Black surfers in history.' The fourth annual festival is set for Saturday in Huntington Beach. -
Kimmel returned less than a week after ABC suspended his show over comments he made about the assassination of right wing activist Charlie Kirk. -
Southern California might see some light rain tonight into Wednesday morning. After that, cooler weather is on the way, but expect the humidity to remain. -
A gate tax at Disney? It's a possibility.
Best of LAist