Orleans has lowest vaccination rate in state for Covid-19

Extra allocations should help boost county’s vaccination rate

Photo by Tom Rivers: This sign directs people to a Covid-19 vaccination clinic at Genesee Community College in Batavia on March 9.

Orleans County currently has the lowest vaccination rate in the state, with 19.2 percent of its residents receiving at least one dose of the Covid-19 vaccine.

The county has been lagging behind the state and regional average for vaccination rates, but has been ahead of Bronx County, until now.

Bronx is just ahead of Orleans with a vaccination rate of 19.4 percent. Kings County, also in New York City, is at 19.6 percent, according to the state’s Vaccine Tracker.

A week ago, Orleans was at 16.6 percent of its residents with at least one dose of the vaccine. That was just ahead of the Bronx at 16.2 percent.

Orleans County’s current 19.2 percent rate is well behind the state average of 26.5 percent and the nine-county Finger Lakes Region of 28.8 percent.

Among other nearby counties, the vaccinate rates (with at least one dose) include: Genesee, 24.6 percent; Wyoming, 22.6 percent; Erie, 28.3 percent; Niagara, 24.6 percent; Monroe, 30.1 percent; and Livingston, 25.4 percent.

Paul Pettit, the public health director in Genesee and Orleans counties, said Orleans will be getting extra allocations to help get caught up in vaccinations.

The county will be getting 600 doses this week as part of its state allocations. It also will be receiving 1,170 doses from the state in a special allocation, and another 1,170 allocations from neighboring Monroe County.

The county will be working with local physicians to administer the 1,170 doses from the state, Pettit said during a conference call on Tuesday with elected officials in Orleans County.

With the 1,170 doses from Monroe, Orleans will administer about 700 on Tuesday during a vaccine clinic at the Ridgeway Fire Hall, and about 500 will also go to a vaccine clinic at GCC next Wednesday, Pettit said.

“Hopefully these extra allocations will help us get our vaccination rates up higher and be more in line with the region,” Pettit said.