BUFFALO, N.Y. — Nearly 39 percent of Erie County residents are fully vaccinated, the health department announced Friday.
The county said 38.9 percent of its residents have completed the COVID-19 vaccine series, while 49.7 percent of residents have had at least one dose. Those numbers from the New York State Department of Health run through Thursday.
When it comes to eligible residents who are at least 16 years old receiving the vaccine, the numbers are 47.7 percent of people having completed the vaccine series and 60.6 percent with at least one dose.
"We anticipate that the FDA will authorize emergency use for the Pfizer vaccine for youth ages 12 to 15, and our department is prepared," Erie County health commissioner Dr. Gale Burstein said in a statement.
"That is a group of just under 42,000 people that we can reach with vaccine through our sites and by working with community pediatricians. Each person who we can fully vaccinated is one more layer of protection for Erie County against COVID-19."
Four county "Shot and a Chaser" clinics will arrive soon, starting with Resurgence Brewing Company on Saturday, then Flying Bison Brewing Company (Wednesday), Steelbound Brewery in Springville (Saturday, May 15) and Thin Man/Tappo (Saturday, May 15).
School clinics for eligible youth and their families are scheduled for Wednesday at Lackawanna High School, Tuesday, May 18 at Springville High School, and Thursday, May 27 at Grand Island High School.
A first-dose clinic in Buffalo is also planned for Thursday at the Community Church Jehovah Jireh on Virginia Street.