Montgomery County Authorities State Racial and Ethnic Data Important for Vaccine Deployment |

Norristown — Montgomery County authorities have given race or ethnicity to residents who have pre-registered for COVID-19 vaccination to help health authorities determine whether the vaccine is being given fairly within the county. I request you to identify it.

“We continue to face the challenge of not having a clear idea of ​​who we are vaccinated against,” said County Commissioner Dr. Valerie Arkuche this week. “I would like to encourage people to identify themselves when you book a vaccine.”

According to county data, one in five people enrolled in the vaccine is not race-identified and one in three is not ethnically identified.

“This data is important to us as it is one of the ways we can guarantee that this vaccine is being delivered fairly. We want to ensure that all community members in the county are vaccinated. Without this data, it’s very difficult to know if the work we’re doing is working, ”explains Arkoosh.

“So I encourage people to take just a few seconds and answer two questions. This data is only used to track our behavior. It is not used for any other purpose.” Arkoosh added.

According to the latest county-wide vaccination data, Asia’s population accounts for about 7.7% of the county’s total population, but only about 0.6% of those vaccinated by March 10.

According to county data, the black or African-American population accounts for 9.6% of the county’s total population, which is about 4.2% of the vaccinated population by March 10.

By comparison, the white population accounted for about 78.8% of the county’s total population, but by March 10 it accounted for 86.6% of the vaccinated population.

According to US Census data, the county has a total population of approximately 830,915.

According to county-wide vaccination data up to March 10, a total of 100,702 people who received the first dose of the vaccine and were partially covered, or about 14.9% of those eligible to be vaccinated in the county, essentially 16. Another 55,474 people received the full dose of the vaccine, or about 8.2% of the eligible population.

“In total, 23% of our population is eligible for a single or both doses of the vaccine,” Arkoosh explained.

Reservations are required to receive the vaccine.

Due to the limited supply of vaccines at this time, only those who qualify for Phase 1A will be given an appointment. Currently eligible are people aged 65 and over and people aged 16-64 with certain underlying illnesses known to be associated with severe cases of COVID-19. Reservation slots are limited and reservations are required.

Anyone eligible for the Phase 1A vaccine can pre-register to receive the vaccine through the County Health Department. The pre-registration link can be found at: www.montcopa.org/COVID-19 Below the green vaccination information button.

Residents without internet access can call the county’s COVID-19 hotline (833) 875-3967 to contact volunteers who can assist in pre-registering vaccines.

To date, more than 137,000 people remain on the Phase 1A pre-registration list. At this time, depending on the time of pre-registration, it may take up to 12 weeks for the registrant to reply to the county official about the booking schedule. The county makes reservations for vaccine supplies.

Currently, the County Public Health Department operates two vaccination sites. The county vaccine clinic operates Monday through Friday from 8:30 am to 3:45 pm.

The county opened a vaccination clinic at Norristown High School to serve those planning a second vaccination.

Those who receive the first dose of the vaccine are currently being treated at a clinic hosted by the Montgomery County Community College Campus in Whitpan.

Authorities plan to open a third vaccination site in Willow Grove when the supply of vaccines increases.