Philadelphians surpass one million mark for vaccinations

Philadelphians recently hit an impressive milestone in the city’s fight against COVID-19.

The city reported that more than one million Philadelphians have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine—that is more than 80% of the city’s adult population.

“This is an amazing accomplishment that is a testament to the dedication and tireless efforts of partners throughout Philadelphia,” said Acting Health Commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole in a statement. “And while we are celebrating today, there’s still more work to be done. Being fully vaccinated has been shown to drastically reduce your risk of being hospitalized and dying from COVID, which means that people who haven’t yet gotten their second dose should get it as soon as they’re eligible.”

“Vaccines are the safest and most effective tool that we have to get this pandemic under control, and I’m extremely proud and thankful that over 1 million Philadelphians have taken this step to protect themselves and others,” added Mayor Jim Kenney. “I also want to recognize all the health and outreach workers and volunteers who helped us reach this milestone by engaging with residents and communities and making the vaccine accessible at clinics throughout the city. Your hard work has saved many lives.”

The Philadelphia Department of Public Health also reported—as of Thursday, Sept. 2—an additional 16,640 doses of COVID-19 vaccine have been administered in Philadelphia since last reported on Monday, Aug. 30. This brings the total number of fully vaccinated Philadelphians to at least 823,207. Currently, 66.3 percent of Philadelphia adults are fully vaccinated.

Currently, 191 patients with COVID-19 are currently being treated in Philadelphia hospitals, with a total of 20 on ventilators. Thus far during the pandemic, 155,223 Philadelphians have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and 3,810 have succumbed to the virus. Philadelphia is averaging 304 new cases of COVID-19 per day over the last two weeks.

For more information or to find a vaccination clinic near you, visit phila.gov/vaccine