Prince George’s County is beginning to ramp up the number of Covid-19 vaccinations administered, but seems to be behind most Maryland counties in the numbers of residents vaccinated, even bearing in mind possible reporting delays. The first few county vaccinations were given on December 16 and, as of January 12, the total vaccinated out of the county’s population of just over 909K was 7,389 – which is less than one percent. The number of first vaccinations since January 3 had seemed to be accelerating, reaching approximately 600 per day last week, but the numbers for the first two days of this week totaled only about 650 new first shots total, i.e., about 325 per day.
County vs. State
The rate of vaccination in the county is significantly behind the statewide average. For example, the Eastern Shore region has vaccinated over 3 percent of its population. The National Capital Region – which includes Frederick, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties – has
vaccinated only 1.55 percent. It is reasonable to assume that Prince George’s, with less than 1 percent vaccinated to date, is reducing that average, that is, the other two counties are doing far better. Western and Southern Maryland have vaccinated 2.66 and 2.83 percent of their populations, respectively.
The day on which the most vaccines to date have been given was last Friday, January 8, when 785 people received their first jab. In contrast, on Monday and Tuesday, January 11 and 12, the total for the two days was only 369. On the other hand, second doses are increasing rapidly as the earliest recipients become eligible for their second shot.
Who’s Getting the Shots?
Almost twice as many women as men in the county have been vaccinated, representing perhaps the larger proportion of women working in healthcare contexts or in care homes. In terms of race, nearly 3,000 African Americans have received vaccinations compared to 1,100 whites and about 600 and 550, respectively, of individuals of Asian and Hispanic origin. Over 1,300 individuals did not identify their race. With almost 20 percent of doses going to individuals whose race is not identified, it is not possible to accurately determine proportions by race.
Workers First
In Prince George’s County, the majority of vaccinations have gone to individuals of working age, with approximately 6,000 of first vaccinations going to people 20 to 69. So far, only a few more than 600 vaccinations have been administered to people over 70. This likely represents the initial push to vaccinate workers in contexts where they may spread the virus from one vulnerable person to another – rather than to serve the vulnerable people themselves.
Data comes from the Prince George’s County Covid-19 vaccine dashboard on the web at princegeorges.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/8e4e6b3e9b2d4284aad85c8f473326e4. It is always likely that reporting may lag behind these collected statistics. Statistics for the State of Maryland and its regions are available at coronavirus.maryland.gov/#Vaccine.