On Thursday, Lexington Mayor Linda Gorton and the Lexington-Fayette Urban County Council discussed the city’s COVID-19 vaccination rate.
Overall, 42% of Fayette County residents have been fully vaccinated. Much like the rest of the state, the county is seeing a decline in demand for the shots.
Kevin Hall with the Lexington Fayette County Health Department said the department is moving away from mass vaccination clinics.
“Because they're just not being the most efficient way to reach people. It took about four months to get to the first 50% of Lexington to be fully vaccinated,” Hall said. “This is where the real work begins. Because now it's reaching the people who have been on the fence.”
About 78% people over age 65 have been vaccinated in Fayette County.
As demand for the vaccine wanes, the Lexington Fayette County Health Department will focus on hard-to-reach populations. It will begin a pilot program to reach people who cannot leave their homes.
Health department spokesman Kevin Hall said the county’s vaccination rate is moving in the right direction. But more people need to be inoculated before the upcoming summer travel season.
“One county away could be at 30%. One state away could be at 15%, 20% and it's going to spread,” Hall said. “That's why you need to see the numbers going up not just in Lexington but throughout Kentucky throughout the United States.”
In June, the Lexington COVID-19 task force said it’s coordinating a program that will go door-to-door to help people sign up for the vaccine.
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