Chad Snow/KJZZ

The vaccine site at Chandler-Gilbert Community College on Feb. 11, 2021. Phil Latzman/KJZZ

We have a long way to go before we reach herd immunity in the COVID-19 pandemic. But about 12% of Maricopa County residents have had at least one dose of a vaccine, a rate slightly higher than the U.S. average. 

Bloomberg data shows about 11% of the U.S. population has had at least one dose of the vaccine as of Thursday. 

Vaccine supply is still very limited, but Maricopa County Public Health says it's making progress with what it has. About 81% of doses allotted to the county have gone into the arms of residents and the county has been averaging more than 10,000 shots per day.

White Arizonans appear to be getting vaccinated at a much higher rate than Latinos in the county and across the state, though race and ethnicity data is incomplete.

As for older populations, about 44% of county residents over the age of 75 have gotten at least one dose. Starting Monday, the county will expand eligibility to include adults 65 and older.

Acknowledging a disparity in vaccinations, Arizona Department of Health Services Dr. Cara Christ says there are targeted efforts to get the message out to underserved groups about the availability of inoculations.

She says more people need to be vaccinated as COVID-19 variants spread all over the country.

“The current vaccines are effective against the current strains, but as we’ve seen, those spread more easily and so that’s why we are trying to get as many Arizonans vaccinated as possible," Christ said.

Arizona hit a milestone last week as just over 1 million people got shots. Christ says she is hopeful that the single-shot Johnson & Johnson vaccine will also enter the mix following an Food and Drug Administration meeting later this month.

→ Q&AZ: What You Need To Know About Getting The Coronavirus Vaccine In Arizona