Hardest hit communities in LA County are among the lowest vaccinated so far, data shows

LOS ANGELES (KABC) — As COVID-19 vaccines continue to be distributed in Los Angeles County, data released Friday by the Department of Public Health shows a stark pattern in communities who are getting the vaccine and those who aren’t.

L.A. County data updated as of Feb. 21 shows high-income, mostly white Bel Air, has had just two COVID-19 deaths over the course of the whole pandemic for a death rate of about 24 per 100,000 people and an all-time case rate of about 4,224. About 30.8% of Bel Air’s population is vaccinated.

Meanwhile, the lower-income city of Cudahy, a city that is made up mostly of people of color, has an all-time COVID-19 death rate of 201 per 100,000 people, and an all-time case rate of about 19,000 per 100,000 people. Just 57% of the community’s population is vaccinated.

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In fact, of L.A. County communities with a population more than 1,000, those with all-time case rates falling in the highest quarter of case rates across the county had an average vaccination rate of just 9.5%. Meanwhile, communities with all-time case rates falling in the lowest quarter of case rates across the county had an average vaccination rate of 18.4%, according to an ABC7 analysis of L.A. County data.

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There’s a similar trend when looking at income by community.

In communities where typical incomes are less than $40,000 a year, an average of only about 8.5% of people have been vaccinated.

That’s compared to communities where incomes are typically $120,000 or more, an average of about 24% of people have been vaccinated.

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See the interactive map below for vaccination rates in your area.

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