Health officials announced Saturday that more than 4 million Arizonans have received at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine.
In a release, the Arizona Department of Health Services said more than 3.5 million Arizonans are fully vaccinated, or 55% of the state's population.
“Arizonans are stepping up and doing their part to put this pandemic behind us,” said Don Herrington, interim director of the Arizona Department of Health Services. “This battle is not over but we’re clearly headed in the right direction.”
As of Saturday morning, 7,287,508 doses of the COVID-19 vaccine have been administered to 4,005,841 people in Arizona, including 3,517,935 who are fully vaccinated, ADHS said.
The state health department says vaccination rates have increased since mid-July in Arizona. During the week beginning Aug. 15, 104,000 were vaccinated, the first since the week of June 13 that more than 100,000 people have been vaccinated in Arizona, according to ADHS.
"For those who have already had COVID-19, it isn’t clear how long natural protection lasts, while vaccination for those who’ve had COVID-19 has proven to offer long-lasting benefits," the release said.
A day after Arizona surpassed the 1 million milestone in confirmed coronavirus cases, the state reported nearly 3,900 additional cases on Saturday, the most since last February during last winter’s surge.
