State data gives new insights into Philadelphia's vaxxed population
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New state data is shedding more light on COVID-19 vaccine and booster doses administered to Philadelphia residents.
Why it matters: Prior to this week, the city's vaccine tracker didn't include how many Philadelphians received the jab and boosters from elsewhere in the state.
- It "gives us a more accurate picture of where we really are right now, which helps inform our vaccination efforts," Philly's Health Commissioner Cheryl Bettigole said at a city COVID update Wednesday.
Yes, but: It's still likely an undercount since there's no available vaccine data tracking residents who received doses outside Pennsylvania.
Of note: The new data also reveals more detailed demographic information around who has received booster shots.
What's new: Approximately 44.5% of Philadelphia children ages 5-11 have received at least one vaccine dose, the new data shows. That's up from the 35.3% reported on Monday.
- The number of children over 12 who've received at least one vaccine dose dropped 4 percentage points from earlier in the week to 88.6%. Bettigole attributed the decrease to duplicate data.
Plus: More than 85,000 booster doses have been administered in the city.
Zoom out: The current COVID wave fueled by the Omicron variant appears to have peaked in the city, Bettigole said.
- Philly's daily average cases and positivity rate have dropped dramatically compared to earlier in the month.
By the numbers: The average daily COVID cases were 996 as of Wednesday, down from a high of 3,570 on Jan. 12.
- The positivity rate hit around 12%, far below the high of 40% on Jan. 4.
What they're saying: Whether the city will continue to see dropping cases depends on whether people take precautions, such as wearing face masks and avoiding indoor gatherings when possible, Bettigole said.