With our free press under threat and federal funding for public media gone, your support matters more than ever. Help keep the LAist newsroom strong, become a monthly member or increase your support today .
Good — And Bad — News As COVID-19 Vaccine Demand Drops In LA
In an aerial view from a drone, cars are lined up at the mass COVID-19 vaccination site at Dodger Stadium. City officials have announced the site, which opened in January, will close up shop by the end of May.
(
Mario Tama
/
Getty Images
)
There's some good news — and some bad news — about L.A. County's COVID-19 vaccination progress. On the one hand, more than 7.2 million COVID-19 shots have been given out to date, according to county public health director Barbara Ferrer.
"This means that about 32% of our residents 16 and older are fully vaccinated," Ferrer told us this week. "And while this is good progress, we have a long way to go before we can say we have a high enough level of community vaccination to go back to normal life without fear."
(
Courtesy L.A. County Public Health Dept.
)
And while supplies of the vaccine are now much more stable than they've been in recent weeks, demand for shots has slowed down. That's even as access to the vaccine opened to anyone 16 and older.
Support for LAist comes from
What does that mean for you?
Well, you no longer need an appointment to get the vaccine in L.A. County. Ferrer said many available slots are going unfilled, with sites countywide seeing a 50% drop in people showing up for their first dose.
She told us:
"We've seen a significant drop here in L.A. County of people getting vaccinated, and it's very worrisome — very worrisome. This would not be the time to sort of lose momentum on vaccinations."
Ferrer also says the county — for the first time ever — may not be able to administer most (95%) of the doses it has on hand within a week of getting them. She also pointed out lagging vaccination rates in multiple communities, including the Antelope Valley, along with South and East L.A.
And now officials have announced that the mass COVID-19 vaccination site at Dodger Stadium will close by the end of May. They said the gradual closure was due to slowing demand for the vaccine and a transition to a smaller appointment-free system.
If you have an appointment at Dodger Stadium don’t worry, it will be honored but new appointments won’t be scheduled. The site initially opened as a testing site — one of the largest in the nation — and transitioned to vaccinations in January.
At LAist, we believe in journalism without censorship and the right of a free press to speak truth to those in power. Our hard-hitting watchdog reporting on local government, climate, and the ongoing housing and homelessness crisis is trustworthy, independent and freely accessible to everyone thanks to the support of readers like you.
But the game has changed: Congress voted to eliminate funding for public media across the country. Here at LAist that means a loss of $1.7 million in our budget every year. We want to assure you that despite growing threats to free press and free speech, LAist will remain a voice you know and trust. Speaking frankly, the amount of reader support we receive will help determine how strong of a newsroom we are going forward to cover the important news in our community.
We’re asking you to stand up for independent reporting that will not be silenced. With more individuals like you supporting this public service, we can continue to provide essential coverage for Southern Californians that you can’t find anywhere else. Become a monthly member today to help sustain this mission.
Thank you for your generous support and belief in the value of independent news.
Chip in now to fund your local journalism
(
LAist
)
Trending on LAist
-
The study found recipients spent nearly all the money on basic needs like food and transportation, not drugs or alcohol. -
Kevin Lee's Tokyo Noir has become one of the top spots for craft-inspired cocktails. -
A tort claim obtained by LAist via a public records request alleges the Anaheim procurement department lacks basic contracting procedures and oversight. -
Flauta, taquito, tacos dorados? Whatever they’re called, they’re golden, crispy and delicious. -
If California redistricts, the conservative beach town that banned LGBTQ Pride flags on city property would get a gay, progressive Democrat in Congress. -
Most survivors of January's fires face a massive gap in the money they need to rebuild, and funding to help is moving too slowly or nonexistent.
Best of LAist