70s Age Group Leads Vaccinations In Alexandria: New Data

ALEXANDRIA, VA — People in their 70s lead age groups in Alexandria for receiving the COVID-19 vaccine at the start of March, according to new data.

The Virginia Department of Health recently added vaccine demographics data, showing vaccine doses given by age group and racial or ethnic group. But while age data is available for all vaccine doses, race and ethnicity data is missing for 467,850 people with at least one dose statewide.

Among age groups in Alexandria, people in their 70s account for 4,910 people with at least one dose. The 70s age group also has the most fully vaccinated individuals — 2,248.

On a population basis, the 70 and up age group has the most first dose vaccines per 100,000 people. The rate for this age group is 57,833 per 100,000 people, closely followed by the 80 and up age group with 57,336 per 100,000 people. The 80 and up age group has the highest rate of fully vaccinated people — 38,968 per 100,000 people.

People 75 and older were initially eligible in phase 1b starting Jan. 11 before eligibility expanded on Jan. 18 to cover anyone 65 and up and 16 to 64 with an underlying health condition or disability. When making appointments, the health department first prioritizes health care workers, long-term care facility residents and staff, and people 75 and up. After that, half of remaining doses are set aside for people 65 and older, while the other half is for people with underlying conditions and essential worker groups in phase 1b.

Here is the age group breakdown so far for first doses and second doses in Alexandria:

• 0-9: 0 doses
• 10-19: 121 first doses, 40 fully vaccinated
• 20-29: 1,435 first doses, 833 fully vaccinated
• 30-39: 2,765 first doses, 1,751 fully vaccinated
• 40-49: 2,418 first doses, 1,444 fully vaccinated
• 50-59: 2,238 first doses, 1,210 fully vaccinated
• 60-69: 3,997 first doses, 1,277 fully vaccinated
• 70-79: 4,910 first doses, 2,248 fully vaccinated
• 80 and up: 2,466 first doses, 1,676 fully vaccinated

As for the race and ethnicity category, data is missing for 8,035 people with the first dose and 4,516 fully vaccinated people in Alexandria. The rate of vaccinations for first doses is highest among Native Americans: 12,228 per 100,000 people. The rate of people fully vaccinated is highest among white residents: 4,098 per 100,000 people.

Here is the racial and ethnic group breakdown of vaccinations:

• Asian or Pacific Islander: 505 first doses, 234 fully vaccinated
• Black: 1,723 first doses, 747 fully vaccinated
• Latino: 1,684 first doses, 809 fully vaccinated
• Native American: 45 first doses, 13 fully vaccinated
• White: 6,942 first doses, 3,493 fully vaccinated
• Other race: 1,416 first doses, 667 fully vaccinated
• Not reported: 8,035 first doses, 4,516 fully vaccinated

The health department continues to work with limited doses amid a wait list. Mayor Justin Wilson said in his March 1 newsletter the city has a wait list of over 45,000 people. The health department is receiving approximately 3,000 doses in this week's allocation.

If you haven't registered for the vaccine, use the statewide vaccine registration system at vaccinate.virginia.gov. People who previously registered with the Alexandria Health Department have been transferred over to the statewide system. Anyone who needs help with registration, needs to register in another language, or does not have internet access or technology can contact the call center at 877-VAX-IN-VA (877-829-4682).