City achieves 80 percent first-dose vaccination rate among Philadelphia adults
PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia Department of Public Health today reported an additional 14,386 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Philadelphia since last reported on Thursday, August 26. This brings the total number of fully vaccinated Philadelphians to at least 813,766, and the number of Philadelphians with at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine to at least 996,257. Currently, 65.5 percent of Philadelphia adults are fully vaccinated, and 80.2 percent of Philadelphia adults have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine.
The Department of Public Health reports 205 patients with COVID-19 are currently being treated in Philadelphia hospitals, with a total of 23 on ventilators.
In the last two weeks, five percent of COVID-19 tests in Philadelphia have come back positive. Thus far during the pandemic, 154,130 Philadelphians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 3,807 have succumbed to the virus. Philadelphia is averaging 292 new cases of COVID-19 per day over the last two weeks.
“I’m extremely proud that 80 percent of adults in Philadelphia have heeded the critical advice of medical professionals and are better protected from the dangers of COVID-19,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. “Philadelphia is among the first big cities in our country to reach this important milestone and make no mistake – it did not happen by chance. It is the result of extensive work by hundreds of partners as well as the leadership of our incredible team at the Philadelphia Department of Public Health. We will not relent until all eligible Philadelphians are vaccinated. To those still waiting or undecided, I urge you to find a free vaccination site and vax up today.”
“Today our COVID-19 dashboard was updated to show that 80 percent of Philadelphia adults have now received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccine,” said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole. “This is very encouraging news and is one of the highest rates of vaccination of large cities in the country. We could not be more proud or thankful of all of our vaccine providers who have ensured easy access to the vaccine throughout the city. But we’re not done yet. Eighty percent is a nice round number to celebrate, but we need to make sure all of those people get their second doses, and the remaining 20 percent get their first dose, and we still have many teenagers who are not yet vaccinated. We have a lot of work to do, but today our city is better protected from COVID-19 than ever before.”
COVID-19 Resources:
- City’s COVID-19 homepage: phila.gov/covid-19.
- Frequently asked questions about the COVID-19 response.
- Greater Philadelphia Coronavirus Helpline: 1 (800) 722-7112.
- Health Department COVID Call Center: 215-685-5488.
- Residents can text COVIDPHL to 888-777 to get updates sent to their phones.
- Residents can now set their own appointments to be vaccinated at City-run clinics.
- There are multiple public transit options to get to City-run clinics.
- COVID-19 testing is available for free at sites throughout Philadelphia.
- The COVID Prevention and Response Fund is accepting donations to aid nonprofits and individuals that are supporting their community through the pandemic.
Resources for Media: