PHOENIX — COVID-19 vaccinations were on the rise in Arizona even before the Food and Drug Administration issued full approval of the two-dose Pfizer vaccine.
The Civic Center Library in Avondale holds a vaccine event every Monday. This week was especially packed as Valley families came together to get the vaccine.
"I think we feel a lot safer having it, having it now," said one Valley dad. "I wish they had it for kids younger than 12 because one of our kids is 11 years old. So, sending him to school every day is kind of like, kind of stressful."
The Avondale location has seen a rise in demand for the vaccine over the last week as the delta variant continues to spread. Now, demand could increase even more.
"Do I feel sick? You just always second-guess yourself, I guess. So, I would say just knowing that it is FDA approved, that does help," said Gino Ortiz, who received the Pfizer vaccine.
Maricopa County says it is continuing to offer community-based vaccine events across the area with various partners. The goal is to make access to the vaccine as easy as possible.
"Remember in science, we need to be more conservative in waiting for the data and the evidence before we make a pronouncement too early. So, we can really be certain that at this point, it really is safe and effective," said Dr. Shad Marvasti, with the University of Arizona Medical Center.
We're also seeing more businesses, organizations, and governments nationwide implementing their own vaccine mandates.
The Navajo Nation is doing that locally, requiring all its employees to get fully vaccinated by the end of September. The decision was not based on the FDA announcement itself, but President Nez believes it will help.
"Over 80%, thus far, of our Navajo Nation employees are fully vaccinated. So, we're just shooting for that 19+ percent to get their vaccine and we're hoping that the announcement from the FDA, will encourage those that were hesitant," said Nez.
To find a vaccine site in your area, visit the Arizona Department of Health Services website.
