EAST PALO ALTO, Calif. (KRON) - East Palo Alto may be a city on the move, but it's dead last when it comes to accessing the COVID-19 vaccine in San Mateo County.
Despite having the most cases per 100,000 residents in the county for communities with a population over 1,500.
With 1/6 people testing positive for the coronavirus, East Palo Alto has the lowest rate of vaccinations in the county.
That has to change, says state senator Josh Becker.
"We need to, yes, increase the supply from the federal government. And then we need to increase the resources on the ground to get that supply to these communities," Becker said.
As of today, about 11% of East Palo Alto's 29,000 residents have been vaccinated, while more than 46% of the people in neighboring Atherton have received the vaccine.
East Palo Alto is the only community where fewer than 20% of residents have been vaccinated despite being home to many frontline and essential workers.
"It is a reminder that after decades of reform, there are still two sides to the Bay Area. One, more well off with instant and immediate access to resources. And the other, living paycheck to paycheck, struggling to figure out how to keep their family's safe," said Councilman Antonio Lopez.
"We need to do more for the city of East Palo Alto. We need a lifeline to resume of some level of normalcy in our community, and right now that lifeline is a vaccine," said Ana Maria Pulido.
County Supervisor David Canepa outlined a goal of providing mobile vaccination sites and expressed optimism the new Johnson & Johnson vaccine could have a real impact in hard-hit communities like East Palo Alto.
"I'm encouraged with the administration. J&J makes it a little bit less complicated. Because with using J&J, it's one shot."
Via Coronavirus | KRON4 https://www.kron4.com
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