Phoenix-based group reports decline at some vaccine events | AZ Vaccine HQ

By Randall Perry On Apr 26, 2021

“We hit a wall.” Valley officials are seeing a decline in interest in getting their vaccines.

PHOENIX (3TV / CBS 5) – Healthcare executives in the Valley say they are seeing a huge drop in interest in the COVID-19 vaccine. Now those behind efforts to vaccinate underserved communities are changing their strategies.

“We hit a wall,” said Tomas Leon of the Equality Health Foundation. “I know this happens nationally. It happens locally,” he said.

The foundation, along with the HeroZona Foundation and other partners, has set up vaccination clinics at South Mountain Community College. Around 1,000 people came at the start of the events, which was the maximum. However, last Saturday they issued fewer than 200 vaccines.

Nonprofit vaccines underserve the Phoenix community and combat hesitation amid the J&J vaccination hiatus

While there are many factors contributing to the vaccine’s hesitation, Leon says the hiatus in Johnson and Johnson’s vaccine didn’t help. “It really created a lot of uncertainty for people, so people thought I’ll wait and see,” he said.

The clinic switched from J&J to Moderna but will soon offer the option of both. Now it’s all about education, especially in 21 badly affected zip codes in south and west Phoenix. “This is where the hard work begins. This is where we really have to roll up our sleeves and fight this fight against COVID door-to-door neighborhood by neighborhood,” said Leon.

You plan to reduce large events and focus on even smaller micro-locations. “In churches, American legions, recreation centers and school districts,” said Leon. “And so we’re just like I said, we’re going to zoom out and focus a lot.”

Read more about the OneCommunity initiative here.