67K Fully Vaccinated In Chesco, 12.8 Percent Of County Population

CHESTER COUNTY, PA — In Chester County 67,446 people were fully vaccinated and 71,775 were partially vaccinated as of March 25, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Health weekly report.

The vaccine distribution count means 12.8 of Chesco's population is now fully vaccinated, a number not the lowest as compared to other counties, but lagging behind many of the commonwealth's 67 counties.

At the end of last week, 57,272 were reported fully vaccinated here, which means 10,174 more people are fully vaccinated in Chesco this week over last week.

The 71,775 partially vaccinated count for this week is up; last week 55,272 were partially vaccinated in Chester County.

The numbers represent an ongoing rollout that is picking up speed but is a smaller percentage of Chester County's population than is vaccinated in many other places. The U.S. Census Bureau estimated the population here as 524,989 in 2019. About one-fourth of Chester County's population are children, under 18.

How does Chester County measure up in the rollout, as a percentage of its population?

The state DOH open data page offers a comparison sheet of how much of a county's population is vaccinated. Vaccination rates are given per 100,000 residents in counties, not as percentages. In Chester County, 12,847.1 are fully vaccinated for every 100,000 residents.

This means the 67,446 people fully vaccinated here are 12.84 percent of Chesco's population.

Amid the data for Pennsylvania's 67 counties, that is neither the highest nor the lowest, but the feeling that vaccines are slower in coming continues to be a valid perception. Elk County has fully vaccinated 25 percent of its population, double our number per the population.

Jefferson County has vaccinated 22.6 percent, Lackawanna County 20.4 percent, Mercer County 20 percent, and Montour County has vaccinated a fully one-third, or 33 percent of its population.

Chester and Delaware counties have similar percentages fully vaccinated; Delco at 12.1 percent. Nearby Lancaster County has similarly vaccinated 11.8 percent of its population. Montgomery County had only vaccinated 10.6 percent of its population by March 26, per the DOH open datasheet. The state's datasheet said Philadelphia County has fully vaccinated only 2.1 percent of its population, and 1.9 percent is partially vaccinated there.

The state DOH reported, as of yesterday's count, that 77,000 people per day are getting vaccinated in Pennsylvania and 1.66 million are fully vaccinated as of March 26. The numbers of people who are only partially vaccinated account for how percentages may seem low while 77K shots are going out every day.

Across the state, numbers of those partially vaccinated are not far behind numbers of those who still need a second dose of Pfizer or Moderna vaccines. Statewide, 1,660,232 have had both required doses and 1,519,321 are partially vaccinated.

On March 21, Chester County reported it had received just under 12,000 vaccine doses from the state in the week before. Of those, 9,340 were designated for the county health department.

Vaccination clinics in Chester County will be open beginning March 29, by appointment, at West Chester University's Sturzebecker Health Sciences Center, Kennett Square Fire Company's Red Clay Room and the Kimberton Fire Company.

Vaccination clinics for seniors, also by appointment, are at Phoenixville Senior Center, Brandywine Valley Active Aging Center (formerly Coatesville Senior Center), and the Oxford Area Senior Center.

Information to find other vaccination locations can be found here.

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