New map shows deep inequities in L.A.’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout

Share of population who received at least one vaccine dose

1 in 20
1 in 10
1 in 7
1 in 5

For the first time on Friday, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health released detailed data tracking the progress of the COVID-19 vaccination effort in more than 340 neighborhoods across the county.

So far 12% of the county's 10 million residents have been vaccinated, with priority given to healthcare workers, residents of long-term care facilities and people 65 years and older.

A closer look at the map shows that those numbers can vary widely from place to place.

In some neighborhoods on the wealthy Westside such as Beverly Hills, 25% of residents have already received the first dose of the two-shot vaccine. In contrast, South L.A. and neighboring cities such as Compton, where incomes are lower and a majority of residents are Latino, only 5% of residents have been vaccinated.

County officials say these disparities are due to long-standing issues with healthcare access, education and poverty, which government outreach efforts thus far have failed to overcome.

The areas with the highest number of Latino and Black seniors have also been among the hardest hit by the coronavirus. A comparison of the new vaccination maps against the spread of the virus show the areas with the highest case rates have some of the lowest vaccination rates.

"These inequities are unacceptable, and demand renewed efforts to ensure access to vaccines for people in the hardest-hit communities," said Barbara Ferrer, head of the county public health agency.

despite having the most COVID-19 cases, South L.A. has few vaccinations

Hardest-hit areas have lowest vaccination rates

Vaccines

20%

15%

10%

5%

Cases

In Lancaster, 7% of the total population have been vaccinated with at least one dose.

Santa Clarita

Pasadena

Los Angeles

Santa Monica

In South Los Angeles, only 1 out of 24 people are vaccinated, while 1 in 6 people have tested positive for COVID-19. This area tends to skew younger, lower in income and has a majority Latino and Black population.

Long Beach

despite having the most COVID-19 cases, South L.A. has few vaccinations

Hardest-hit areas have lowest vaccination rates

Vaccines

20%

15%

10%

5%

Cases

In Lancaster, only 7% of the total population have been vaccinated with at least one dose.

Santa Clarita

Pasadena

Los Angeles

Santa Monica

Long Beach

In South Los Angeles, only 1 out of 24 people are vaccinated, while 1 in 6 people have tested positive for COVID-19. This area tends to skew younger, lower in income and has a majority Latino and Black population.

despite having the most COVID-19 cases, South L.A. has few vaccinations

Hardest-hit areas have lowest vaccination rates

Vaccines

20%

15%

10%

5%

In Lancaster, only 7% of the total population have been vaccinated with at least one dose.

Santa Clarita

Santa Monica

In South Los Angeles, only 1 out of 24 people are vaccinated, while 1 in 6 people have tested positive for COVID-19. This area tends to skew younger, lower in income and has a majority Latino and Black population.

Cases

20%

15%

10%

5%

Pasadena

Los Angeles

Long Beach

despite having the most COVID-19 cases, South L.A. has few vaccinations

Hardest-hit areas have lowest vaccination rates

Vaccines

20%

15%

10%

5%

In Lancaster, only 7% of the total population have been vaccinated with at least one dose.

Santa Clarita

Santa Monica

In South Los Angeles, only 1 out of 24 people are vaccinated, while 1 in 6 people have tested positive for COVID-19. This area tends to skew younger, lower in income and has a majority Latino and Black population.

Cases

20%

15%

10%

5%

Pasadena

Los Angeles

Long Beach

Source: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

In Beverlywood, which is located south of Beverly Hills, 17% of the population is vaccinated, despite having a case rate far below the county average. This affluent neighborhood with a majority white population has a comparable number of seniors 65 and older to Commerce, a majority Latino and low-income neighborhood in Southeast Los Angeles.

disparities in cases and vacinees in LA neighboorhoods

COVID-19 case rate

Vaccination rate

6.1%

17.2

Beverlywood

Commerce

8.6

17.7

disparities in cases and vacinees in LA neighboorhoods

COVID-19 case rate

Vaccination rate

6.1%

17.2

Beverlywood

Commerce

8.6

17.7

Source: Los Angeles County Department of Public Health

In Commerce, vaccination rates are half of what they are in Beverlywood despite having more than double number of cases per person.

To address the inequities, county officials say they plan to send more outreach workers into the field and add vaccination sites in underserved areas. On Friday, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti promised to expand the fleet of mobile vaccination clinics and send them to Pico Union, Chinatown, Vermont Square and other areas.

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The new numbers released Friday also included the first look at the ages of the people vaccinated thus far. Of 1.1 million first doses administered as of Feb. 14, a little more than half have gone to those over 65. Forty-seven percent have gone to younger than 65, who either qualify due to their professions or have acquired vaccines by other means.

County officials were unable to provide data for all ethnicity groups, due to flaws in their data gathering efforts. No estimates were provided for Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander seniors. Some vaccination numbers were also unavailable for those seniors who identified as multi-race.

Officials are also not yet able to determine where residents were vaccinated at the hundreds of sites spread across the county, including pharmacies, hospitals and mass vaccination sites such as Dodger Stadium.

County officials have promised to release new numbers weekly.