Residents in northern third of county slow to get vaccinated
Walker
Hamilton County is the second-most vaccinated county in the state with 59 percent of its residents now fully vaccinated. That equates to 165,112 residents age 12 and older. However, a closer look into those statistics reveals a discrepancy that the Hamilton County Health Department is working to correct.
“When we break our vaccination numbers down by zip code, we see considerably fewer people getting vaccinated in the northern, more rural area of our county,” said Chris Walker, emergency preparedness coordinator for the Hamilton County Health Department. “We need to reevaluate how we’re reaching residents in the Atlanta, Sheridan, and Arcadia areas.”
The Westfield zip code of 46074 currently tops the county’s list with 76 percent of its residents fully vaccinated. That zip code is closely followed by 46290, a small pocket south of Carmel, and 46037 in Fishers. At the other end of the spectrum is 46031 in Atlanta with 33 percent of its residents fully vaccinated, 46069 in Sheridan with 39 percent, and 46030 in Arcadia with 40 percent.
“The numbers shouldn’t surprise us,” Walker added. “There are 49 vaccination sites in Hamilton County, but only two north of State Road 32. As we start to wrap up our mass vaccination clinic at the 4-H Fairgrounds, we need to find ways to ramp up vaccinations in the northern third of the county. How we do that remains to be seen. It could be a sustained vaccination clinic or pop-ups at summer festivals. We’ll know more soon.”
Consider mailing them to rural areas, It’s been done in other states with huge success!
It is not uncommon for the populous portion of the county to be completely oblivious to the northern part of the county. When you say you live near Atlanta, people look at you oddly and completely unaware their is a town of that name in Hamilton County. Take a drive north to the country, politicians and health officials. We could also use some help upgrading our town sewer systems up here, and increase our pay to public service workers. Throw some of that county money and attention to the infrastructure in the full county, not just “south of 32.”
The 33% figure for Atlanta may not be accurate – I know of several Atlanta residents that were vaccinated in Tipton County. Tipton is only five minutes away and we sit on the county line.