Nearly half of Pennsylvania adults are fully vaccinated against COVID-19
Nearly half of Pennsylvania adults are fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as new cases and hospitalizations continued to decrease Wednesday.
The state Health Department said 49.4% of adults in the state are two weeks beyond receiving their second dose of a vaccine, or the single-dose version.
“According to the CDC, as of Wednesday morning, May 19, Pennsylvania has administered first doses of vaccine to 55% of its entire population, and the state ranks ninth among all 50 states for first doses administered by percentage of population,” the department stated in a news release.
Allegheny County is faring better than the state average in terms of vaccination rates.
As of Wednesday, 52% of adults in the county are fully vaccinated, said Rich Fitzgerald, the county executive.
Allegheny Health Director Dr. Debra Bogen said new cases have declined there for the past two weeks, averaging about 130 a day.
Bogen, Fitzgerald and their sign language interpreter all appeared at the briefing without face masks.
The state reported 1,257 new virus cases Wednesday, taking the running total since March 2020 to 1,190,102.
The state reported 54 new COVID-19 deaths, including one in Fayette County.
Washington County reported 18 new cases, taking the cumulative total to 17,530. Greene County added two cases to its total of 3,231. Fayette reported 22 new cases, taking its total to 12,990.