Temple area receives nearly 10,000 COVID-19 vaccines

The two ZIP codes encompassing Temple University’s Main Campus recorded a combined 9,879 COVID-19 vaccines administered as on Feb. 3, according to data released by the Philadelphia Department of Public Health.

ZIP codes 19121 and 19122 accounted for 1,269 and 8,610 first vaccine doses, respectively, as of Feb. 3, according to the new PDPH’s vaccination dashboard.

Philadelphia vaccinated an average of 1,704 people per day last week. As of Feb. 3, the city has administered 109,696 first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine and 40,670 second doses, according to the dashboard. 

On Jan. 19, Philadelphia expanded vaccine eligibility to people in Phase 1B, which includes first responders and people 75 and older, while continuing to administer vaccines to those in Phase 1A, which includes health care workers and long-term care facility residents and workers, The Temple News reported. 

The initial vaccine rollout in Philadelphia was slow because the federal government lacked coordination and did not know how many vaccines would be available, Billy Penn reported.

The city’s distribution so far has been disproportionately skewed toward women, with 65.4 percent of vaccines going to women despite making up 53 percent of the city’s population, according to the dashboard.

Additionally, despite comprising about 40 percent of the city’s population, African American residents made up 15.5 percent and 15.8 percent of vaccines administered to men and women, respectively, according to the dashboard. 

Likewise, although Hispanics make up 15 percent of Philadelphia’s population, they comprised 3.3 percent of vaccines administered to men and 3.3 percent of vaccines administered to women, according to the dashboard. 

One of the reasons for the racial disparity is that Philadelphia’s healthcare workforce is majority white, NBC News reported.

Additionally, African American staff are less likely to accept a vaccine when offered and schedule a vaccination appointment, said Thomas Farley, the city’s health commissioner, in a news conference on Jan. 5.

Doctors have historically caused distrust between Black people and medical professionals, which contributes to fewer Black people signing up for the COVID-19 vaccine, the Washington Post reported.

Vaccinating essential workers and those younger than 75 years old with health issues in Phase 1B will diversify the pool of vaccinated residents, NBC News reported.